Effects of outdoor education stream classes on substrate movement and macroinvertebrate colonization

Figures & data

Table 1. Heartland Outdoor School schedule for stream classes within Alum Creek, OH, during the spring (mid-April–early June) outdoor education field trip season showing daily class times and a continuous count of classes for a typical week in 2014.

Class time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9:15–10:15 am		Class 4	Class 9	Class 14	Class 19
10:30–11:30 am		Class 5	Class 10	Class 15	Class 20
1:30–2:30 pm	Class 1	Class 6	Class 11	Class 16
2:45–3:45 pm	Class 2	Class 7	Class 12	Class 17
6:30–7:30 pm	Class 3	Class 8	Class 13	Class 18

Table 2. P-values from a three factor (site, rock size class, and hydrologic regime) generalized linear model analysis of rock movement response variables in Alum Creek, OH, from 19 April 2014 to 31 May 2014. Bolded P-values are those that had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on rock movement within the generalized linear model analysis. Abbreviations are: Size – rock size class and HR – hydrologic regime.

Response variable	Site	Size	Site × size	Site × HR	Size × HR	Site × size × HR
Total movement	0.648	0.747	0.009	<0.001	0.217	0.518
Downstream movement	0.277	0.418	0.031	0.159	0.674	0.777
Upstream movement	<0.001	<0.001	0.860	0.418	0.011	0.552
Lateral movement	<0.001	0.079	0.149	<0.001	0.142	0.041
Vertical movement	0.009	0.659	0.031	0.002	0.977	0.092

Figure 1. Mean upstream rock movement between the class site subjected to outdoor education stream classes and the unused site within Alum Creek, OH, from 19 April 2014 to 31 May 2014.

Figure 2. Differences in mean total rock movement between the class site subjected to outdoor education stream classes and an unused site during baseflow conditions (A) and spate conditions (B) within Alum Creek, OH, from 19 April 2014 to 31 May 2014.

Figure 3. Differences in mean vertical rock movement (i.e. rock flipping) between the class site subjected to outdoor education classes and the unused site during baseflow conditions (A) and spate conditions (B) within Alum Creek, OH, from 19 April 2014 to 31 May 2014.

Figure 4. Differences in mean lateral rock movement between the class site subjected to outdoor education classes and the unused site during baseflow conditions (A) and spate conditions (B) within Alum Creek, OH, from 19 April 2014 to 31 May 2014.

Table 3. Abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrate families that colonized experimental rocks placed within a class site subjected to outdoor education stream classes and within the unused site within Alum Creek, OH, May 2014.

Family	Class site	Unused site
Tricladida: Planariidae	1	9
Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae	0	6
Ephemeroptera: Baetidae	0	5
Coleoptera: Psephenidae	0	5
Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae	1	2
Neotaenioglossa: Pleuroceridae	0	2
Diptera: Chironomidae	0	1

Table 4. P-values from a two factor (site and rock size class) generalized linear model analysis of macroinvertebrate colonization response variables in Alum Creek, OH, from 19 April 2014 to 31 May 2014. Bolded P-values are those that were documented to have significant effect (P < 0.05) on macroinvertebrate colonization within the generalized linear model analysis. Abbreviations are: EPT – Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and DVF – dorsoventrally flattened body form.

Response variable	Site	Rock size class	Site × rock size class
Abundance	<0.001	0.035	0.193
Taxa richness	<0.001	0.106	0.029
EPT abundance	<0.001	0.608	0.226
Clinger abundance	<0.001	0.079	0.201
DVF clinger abundance	0.092	0.323	0.402

Figure 5. Mean macroinvertebrate abundance (A), taxa richness (B), Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) abundance (C), and clinger abundance (D) between the class site subjected to outdoor education stream classes and the unused site in Alum Creek, OH, from 19 April 2014 to 31 May 2014.

Table 5. Mean percent frequency (minimum–maximum) in movement of rocks within three size classes between the class site subjected to outdoor education classes and the unused site during baseflow conditions within Alum Creek, OH, from 19 April 2014 to 31 May 2014.

	Rock size category
	Small	Medium	Large
Class site	53 (40–60)	60 (40–80)	100 (*)
Unused site	27 (0–60)	13 (0–40)	7 (0–20)

*The minimum and maximum percent frequency of rock movement was equal to 100% during all three baseflow weeks.