Abstract
As part of a statewide evaluation of the impact of nonpoint sources of water pollution (relevant to Section 208 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972), a study was conducted to determine the effects of surface runoff from apple orchards. It was conducted by the Biological Monitoring Group of the North Carolina Division of Environmental Management using aquatic macroinvertebrates as assessment organisms. Both taxa richness and total numbers were reduced below the orchards, particularly during two pesticide application periods. Results indicate chronically severe stress conditions at the most downstream site and periodic stress, followed by recovery, at an upstream site. Several taxa were especially susceptible to apple orchard runoff, includingEpeorus (Iron) sp. and all Plecoptera.
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Penrose, D.L., Lenat, D.R. Effects of apple orchard runoff on the aquatic macrofauna of a mountain stream. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 11, 383–388 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01055215
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01055215