Seasonal and temporal variation in the effects of forest thinning on headwater stream benthic organisms in coastal British Columbia

Removal of riparian trees can alter aquatic ecosystem structure and function by influencing factors such as light availability, sediment input, stream temperature. Contemporary forest practices variable retention harvest are used to mitigate the effects clear-cut on communities, but few studies have examined these techniques ecosystems. We light, temperature, biofilm biomass macroinvertebrate consumers in three coastal headwater streams British Columbia, Canada compared them nearby reference with unlogged stands. Variable increased temperature variability. Harvested catchments had higher all seasons except winter invertebrate abundance summer. altered community composition, largely driven increasing Chironomidae decreasing Simuliidae abundance. In conclusion, we found that modified benthic responses varied seasonally among taxa. This is one investigate impacts multiple trophic levels over years. Understanding cascading multi-year time scales important for management decisions.