Research Page, Dr. Barbara Hayford
The Mongolian Aquatic Insect Survey began as the Selenge River Project (SRP) conducted from 2003-3006. Both projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation’s Biodiversity Inventories Program through Dr. Jon Gelhaus and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia to discover, document, and describe diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates from Mongolia. The SRP and MAIS projects have fostered a spirit of international collaboration between scientists in the U.S., Mongolia, Lithuania, and other countires. Check out the MAISwebpage to find more information and for a complete list of collaborators on this project. I have been on expedition to collect aquatic insects in Mongolia five times, beginning in 1995 with work on Lake Hovsgol (check here for Long Term Ecological Research in Lake Hovsgol). Currently, my part in the project is to work with Chironomidae on these projects and work on biological assessment and conservation of aquatic habitat in Mongolia.
RUI-MAIS: RESEARCH AT UNDERGRADUATE INSTUTITONS (RUI) FUNDED RESEARCH WITH THE MONGOLIAN AQUATIC INSECT SURVEY (MAIS)
I received a Research at Undergraduate Institutions, Biotic Inventories Grant through NSF early September 2009 (DEB- BS&I # 0816910). The focus of this research is to combine basic ecological research with the description of biological diversity of chironomids. The research will be completed in conjunction with on-going research by the MAIS project (see below) and will include range condition data for use by all participants. A focal question of this phase of my research is whether variation in grazing intensity in Mongolia impacts diversity of chironomids. Currently, I have two undergraduate students from Wayne State College who are working with me to develop protocols to measure range condition and to work on macroinvertebrate diversity from streams in Mongolian and Nebraska steppes. This research project provides a natural link to my research on Chironomidae Pupal Exuviae in Nebraska (CPEN). Streams in Nebraska and Mongolia flow through steppe systems which are grazed. Students who work on either/both the RUI-MAIS and CPEN projects are encouraged to make comparison between the natural history of Mongolian and Nebraska streams.The Mongolian Aquatic Insect Survey began as the Selenge River Project (SRP) conducted from 2003-3006. Both projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation’s Biodiversity Inventories Program through Dr. Jon Gelhaus and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia to discover, document, and describe diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates from Mongolia. The SRP and MAIS projects have fostered a spirit of international collaboration between scientists in the U.S., Mongolia, Lithuania, and other countires. Check out the MAISwebpage to find more information and for a complete list of collaborators on this project. I have been on expedition to collect aquatic insects in Mongolia five times, beginning in 1995 with work on Lake Hovsgol (check here for Long Term Ecological Research in Lake Hovsgol). Currently, my part in the project is to work with Chironomidae on these projects and work on biological assessment and conservation of aquatic habitat in Mongolia.
My research in Mongolia has resulted in the following information:
- A total of 238 species of Chironomidae from five subfamilies have now been documented from Mongolia. Here is a checklist of Mongolian Chironomidae. I will add to this list as researchers continue to publish new discriptions and discoveries of Mongolian Chironomidae.
- Species diversity of Chironomidae has high turnover rates between streams in the Gorkhi Terelj region of Mongolia, resulting in high gamma diversity for these study sites.
- Grazing
intensity contributed significantly to changes in sediments, dissolved
oxygen, and pH in Mongolian streams. Other large scale
variables such as elevation and latitude, and small scale variables
such as substrate also contributed significantly to variation in water
quality variables.
- Preliminary
results from research on the impact of riparian range condition on
water quality of Nebraska streams is mixed. Initially stream
sediments decreased with increased evidence of grazing in streams from
the Nebraska Pine Ridge (see results here).
However, subsequent research on streams in the Verdigris Creek and
Bazile Creek watersheds indicate that those streams have increased
sediment corresponding to increased grazing.
- Physical, habitat and water quality data from the SRP and MAIS aquatic habitat sites can be accessed on the MAIS web page.
- Other work on chironomids in Monglolia includes work by Ferrington and Bouchard on chironomids from lakes. Here is their Identification Guide to Chironomid Pupal Exuviae of Mongolian Lakes.