Densities of benthic invertebrates were counted over several weeks before and after a small winter spate (15.5 times base flow) in two riffle types of contrasting architectural complexity in Mountain River, Tasmania. Complex benthic architecture reduced the impact of this spate on invertebrate densities over the short term (seven days). Longer-term recovery (several weeks) was unaffected by riffle architecture, with one of the riffles recovering much more slowly than the others. Refuges from small spates in Mountain River may exist in mid channel in complex boulder-cobble riffles. Within its temporal context, the effects of the spate on the study sites were of a similar magnitude to other unexplained population fluctuations.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Ecology
Research Field:	Freshwater Ecology
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding Knowledge in the Environmental Sciences
UTAS Author:	Robson, BJ (Ms Belinda Jane Robson)
ID Code:	8730
Year Published:	1996
Web of Science® Times Cited:	6
Deposited By:	Zoology
Deposited On:	1996-08-01
Last Modified:	2011-08-19
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