Why are the forest creeks clean?

A river draining deforested land

A forest creek after rain
after rain
 Why are the forest creeks clean?

The soil is
covered by
leaves

Roots hold
the soil

> Rain can’t

wash the soil
easily into
the creek
Why are the forest creeks clean?

Forest
provides
shadow and
protection
from direct
sunlight

> the water

remains cool
 Why are the forest creeks clean?
mg / l
16
Cool water
14 MaximumDissolvedOxygeninFreshwater
can carry
12 more

Open land
Forest
oxygen
10
8
Biochemical
6 processes
4 that
2
consume
oxygen run
0 slower in
cool water
20

25
10

15

30

35

40
0

°C > Water
keeps well
oxygenized
and healthy
Why are the forest creeks clean?

Oxygen is
needed by
all
organisms
that help
eliminating
dirt particles.

But forest
streams lack
producers
that could
supply
oxygen!
 Why are the forest creeks clean?

Bacteria and micro fungi grow on leaf litter and other

dead organic>matter
The dead organic matter decays
 Why are the forest creeks clean?

Grazers / Scrapers e.g. snails, larvae of water penny

beetles and some mayflies scrape the biofilms of
microorganisms and feed on these bacteria and micro
fungi
 Why are the forest creeks clean?

Gatherers
like small
shrimps
brush and
clean the
underwater
surfaces
and feat
this way on
bacteria,
algae and
micro fungi
 Why are the forest creeks clean?

Detritivore gatherers e.g. scavenger water beetles

and crabs feed on dead animals and rotten plant
material
 Why are the forest creeks clean?

Shredders e.g. some stonefly larvae and some

caddisfly larvae feed on leaf litter and “shred” the
dead organic matter in small pieces
Why are the forest creeks clean?
Filterers
e.g. net-
building
caddisfly
larvae filter
and feed
on small
“dirt”
particles
such as
Creek
shredded
siltation
leaves
from open
released
soil clogs
by
their nets
shredders
and they
loose their
Why are the forest creeks clean?

Predators e.g. damselfly larvae,

whirling beetles and water bugs
feat on other small organisms
Why are the forest creeks clean?

Omnivoro
us small
fish feed on
the
invertebrat
es and
rotten fruits
Large
(predatory) fish
feed on the
small fish
 Why are the forest creeks clean?
The organisms in
a clean stream
ecosystem
interact with
each other and
cycle the matter
inputs from
outside.

They are
specialized
therefore in their
feeding habits:
shredders,
grazers /
scrapers,
Stream
organisms
are
commonly
used as
bioindicators
for
evaluation of
water
quality:

e.g. Saprobic
Index
 Protect
forest
Retreat for endemic
creeks!
Clean source of

wildlife drinking water

because they
Functioning divers serve as ... Clean water input to
Ecosystem Lakes
 Ecological Adaptation - Morphology

Stream current (rheophilic) ⇒ Water surface

flattening streamlining strong claws double eyes⇒ Johnston's org
(neustic)

Locomotio Reproduction
swimming swimming pygidial leg suckers spinning gland
n
hairs legs gland
 Ecological Adaptation - Respiration
Gills (closed tracheal system) or open tracheal
Abdominal Anal gills system Snorkel
Piercers Respiratory cr
gills

Air reservoir (active) Plastron / gas gill

subelytral subcox subabdominamicroplastr macroplastr
(passive)
al l on
 Ecological Adaptation - Feeding habits
Filtering Gathering Scrapers
collectors collectors

Shredd Plant Predators

ers gougers