The Ashdown Forest	PhD research	Lone Oak Stream
	Assessing the role of meiofauna in stream communities.
Research interests	Freshwater Ecology at QMW	Other members of the Ashdown Forest Freshwater Ecology Group (2000)
Meiofauna  Biodiversity  Size-spectra  The hyporheic zone  Production	Other areas of freshwater research at QMW include river restoration , fish biology and trophic interactions in lakes	Prof. Alan Hildrew  Dr. Jenny Schmid-Araya  Dr. Helen Wilcock  Dr. Julie Winterbottom  Dr. Guy Woodward  Irene Petersen  Stuart Orton
Hyporheic sampling equipment	Meiofauna - Alona quadrangularis	Meiofaunal oligochaete

Research interests

My PhD research is concerned with distinguishing the role of the meiofauna (0.05 - 0.5 mm body size) in stream communities. Until recently , the study of meiofauna has developed in isolation from that of the larger macrofauna (>0.5 mm). Consequently, the relative contribution of meiofauna to community processes is still speculative. It is likely that the meiofauna are important in passing microbial production to larger organisms. Recent research by the Ashdown Forest Freshwater Ecology Group has found many links between meio- and macrofauna in stream food webs. However, the importance of these links is still unknown. I am particularly interested in four specific aspects of meiofaunal ecology: 1. Biodiversity: The meiofauna are a highly diverse group. At my study site, Lone Oak, a small stream in the Ashdown Forest, meiofauna comprise 77% of the invertebrate taxa. 2. Size spectra: It is thought that biomass size distributions (BSDs) represent emergent properties of particular types of community. I am constructing monthly BSDs to investigate spatio-temporal patterns in the Lone Oak community. 3. Hyporheic Zone: Streams operate in four dimensions, varying longitudinally, horizontally, vertically and temporally. The vertical component and its role in community dynamics is gradually being resolved. The 'hyporheic zone' is defined as the saturated sediments and interstitial spaces beneath streams, receiving water from both above and below ground. At Lone Oak, I am collecting monthly samples from the hyporheic zone using permanent standipes. 4. Production: A key ecological process is secondary production, which describes the flow of energy through the community. Following my survey of invertebrates at Lone Oak, and the construction of BSD's, I will be able to estimate the contribution of each size class of both meiofauna and macrofauna to community production and, hence, their trophic relationships as predators and prey. Production estimates will contribute to the food web research of the Ashdown Forest Freshwater Ecology Group.

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Affiliations

Member of The British Ecological Society 

Poster presentations at conferences

Date	Conference	Title
1999	British Ecological Society Winter Meeting; Leeds	The role of meiofauna in stream communities
2000	NERC Workshop in Freshwater Biology; London	The role of meiofauna in stream communities

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Keywords

freshwater ecology; community structure; meiofauna; biodiversity; hyporrheos; hyporheic zone; macroinvertebrates; size-spectra; production.

PhD (NERC funded)

Stead, T.K. (expected submission: 2001)
"The role of meiofauna in stream communities"
PhD Thesis, Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London.
Supervisor: Dr. Jenny Schmid-Araya
2nd Supervisor: Prof. Alan Hildrew

Useful freshwater links

UK Acid Waters Monitoring Network North American Benthological Society IERM, Edinburgh University Freshwater Biological Association Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

BES Aquatic Group Mailbase Nordic Benthological Society ASLO Freshwater Biology (journal)

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Last updated 13 March 2000 (RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE)