An assessment of An assessment of water quality in water quality in tropical streams tropical streams

located in primary located in primary and secondary and secondary

rainforestrainforest By Emily SchultzBy Emily Schultz

Supervisor: Cheryl BaduiniSupervisor: Cheryl Baduini

IntroductionIntroduction

Hacienda Baru vs. Firestone Center Hacienda Baru vs. Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology (FCRE) vs. for Restoration Ecology (FCRE) vs. DominicalDominical

E. coliE. coli and other fecal coliforms and other fecal coliforms NutrientsNutrients - Phosphate- Phosphate - Nitrate- Nitrate - Nitrite- Nitrite - Ammonia- Ammonia

SitesSites

Hacienda Baru: Primary Stream Head, Hacienda Baru: Primary Stream Head, Above Camp, Below Camp, Below Ceibo, Above Camp, Below Camp, Below Ceibo, Primary/Secondary Frontier, Baru BridgePrimary/Secondary Frontier, Baru Bridge

Baru River – Dominical Bridge, Baru Baru River – Dominical Bridge, Baru MouthMouth

FCRE: Terciopelo Spring, North Creek FCRE: Terciopelo Spring, North Creek Falls, Cacao Waterfall, Mid-Cacao, Falls, Cacao Waterfall, Mid-Cacao, Terciopelo Road Bridge, Cacao Road Terciopelo Road Bridge, Cacao Road BridgeBridge

FCRE SitesFCRE Sites

Methods and Materials Methods and Materials BacteriaBacteria - Sampling- Sampling - Growing- Growing - Counting- Counting NutrientsNutrients - Sampling- Sampling - Analyzing- Analyzing OtherOther - Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, - Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature,

Salinity, pHSalinity, pH - Turbidity- Turbidity

ResultsResults

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

E. coli Other Coliforms Total Coliforms

Bacteria

Co

lon

ies/

100

mL

Figure 1. Number of colonies of bacteria per 100 mL (mean ± SE, n=6) at Hacienda Baru as compared to FCRE. White= Hacienda Baru, Grey= FCRE.

ResultsResults

0.000

0.050

0.100

0.150

0.200

0.250

0.300

Hacienda Baru FCRE

Location

Nit

rate

(m

g/L

)

0.000

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.010

0.012

Hacienda Baru FCRE

Location

Nitr

ite (m

g/L)

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

Hacienda Baru FCRE

Location

Phos

phat

e (m

g/L)

Figure 2. Levels of nitrate (mean ± SE, n=6) in stream water at Hacienda Baru and FCRE.

Figure 3. Levels of nitrite (mean ± SE, n=6) in stream water at Hacienda Baru and FCRE.

Figure 4. Levels of phosphate (mean ± SE, n=6) in stream water at Hacienda Baru and FCRE.

ResultsResults

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

Hacienda Baru FCRE

Location

Tem

pera

ture

(ºC

)

Figure 5. Temperature of stream water (mean ± SE, n=6) at Hacienda Baru and FCRE.

ResultsResults

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

Hacienda Baru FCRE Dominical

Location

E. c

oli

(per

100

ml)

Figure 6. Number of E. coli colonies per 100 mL (mean ± SE) at all sites during the each season. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

ResultsResults

0

2500

5000

7500

10000

12500

Hacienda Baru FCRE Dominical

Location

Oth

er c

olif

orm

s (p

er 1

00

mL

)

Figure 7. Number of other coliform colonies per 100 mL (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

ResultsResults

05000

10000150002000025000

3000035000400004500050000

Hacienda Baru FCRE Dominical

Location

To

tal c

olif

orm

s (p

er 1

00 m

g)

Figure 8. Number of total coliform colonies per 100 mL (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

ResultsResults

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

Hacienda Baru FCRE Dominical

Location

Nit

rate

(m

g/L

)

Figure 9. Levels of nitrate (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

ResultsResults

0.000

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.010

0.012

0.014

Hacienda Baru FCRE Dominical

Location

Nit

rite

(m

g/L

)

Figure 10. Levels of nitrite (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

ResultsResults

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Hacienda Baru FCRE Dominical

Location

Tem

pera

ture

(oC

)

Figure 12. Temperature (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

ConclusionsConclusions E. coliE. coli - More at Hacienda Baru: greater animal - More at Hacienda Baru: greater animal

population population - More during dry season: less water in - More during dry season: less water in

streamsstreams Other coliforms Other coliforms - Higher at Firestone - Higher at Firestone - No variation by season- No variation by season - Some coliforms from soil- Some coliforms from soil - Enter stream during rain events- Enter stream during rain events Effect of temperatureEffect of temperature - Not visible in correlation- Not visible in correlation - Can be seen in seasonal comparison- Can be seen in seasonal comparison

ConclusionsConclusions NitrateNitrate - Higher at Hacienda Baru - Higher at Hacienda Baru - Higher during dry season at Hacienda - Higher during dry season at Hacienda

BaruBaru - More nitrate accumulation in soil during - More nitrate accumulation in soil during

dry season at Hacienda Barudry season at Hacienda Baru Nitrite Nitrite - Very low concentrations- Very low concentrations - Too much noise- Too much noise PhosphatePhosphate - No difference between sites- No difference between sites - Soil is main source- Soil is main source

AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments

I would first like to thank Dr. Cheryl I would first like to thank Dr. Cheryl Baduini forBaduini for

supervising this project. Additionally, I would supervising this project. Additionally, I would like to thank Drs. Don McFarlane, Keith like to thank Drs. Don McFarlane, Keith Christianson, Katie Purvis-Roberts, and Diane Christianson, Katie Purvis-Roberts, and Diane Thomson for their help and advice in Costa Rica. Thomson for their help and advice in Costa Rica. I would also like to thank Alicia Hill, Alexandra I would also like to thank Alicia Hill, Alexandra Binder, Keala Cummings, and especially Sam Binder, Keala Cummings, and especially Sam Scott for their help with data collection when Scott for their help with data collection when necessary. For her help with the statistical necessary. For her help with the statistical analysis, I would like to thank Dr. Kristen analysis, I would like to thank Dr. Kristen Johnson. This research would not have been Johnson. This research would not have been possible without the W. M. Keck Foundation possible without the W. M. Keck Foundation grant to the Joint Science Department,grant to the Joint Science Department,

Scripps College.Scripps College.