Researchers Win $386,000 Grant to Study Ozark Highland Streams

Researchers at the University of Arkansas and the University of Central Arkansas will receive a combined $386,235 in National Science Foundation grants to conduct research that will help improve management of the Ozark Highland streams near Fayetteville by determining the impact that phosphorus in the stream has on aquatic wildlife.

A majority of the funds will go toward supporting one graduate research assistant in biological sciences and one in crop, soil and environmental sciences. The remainder of the funds go to aid undergraduate technicians and researchers, supplies, travel and summer salaries.  

The University of Arkansas was awarded $302,258 in NSF funds while the University of Central Arkansas received $83,977. Leading the project are assistant professor Michelle Evans-White of biology and Thad Scott, assistant professor in crop, soil and environmental sciences, both of the University of Arkansas, along with Sally Entrekin of the University of Central Arkansas.

Scott and Evans-White have had several honors and minority undergraduate students working in their  lab and plan to continue supporting undergraduates on projects within the framework of the NSF grant.

“Phosphorus enrichment is a problem in our streams and previous research by myself and others have found that the diversity of aquatic speces that feed on decomposing organic matter in streams declines with phosphorous enrichment. The funds from NSF allow us to bring these organisms into the laboratory and do some tightly-controlled experiments that examine whether P enrichment of food resources may alter digestion and growth in a species-specific manner that ultimately drives those observed decreases in diversity,” said Evans-White.

She said the team’s research won't solve the problem of phosphorus enrichment by the addition of chicken litter or other pollutants.  It will help ecologists and natural resource managers gain a better understanding of the specific ways that phosphorous negatively affects streams and aquatic wildlife. It will also provide information about the level at which phosphorus begins to degrade aquatic wildlife in Ozark streams to aid in the management of these ecosystems.

Results of the project will be distributed to watershed groups and state agencies to improve management of Ozark Highland streams and other Arkansas ecosystems.

“The National Science Foundation funds for this project support the career development of several minority and traditional undergraduate and graduate students and the funds will provide information about how environmental managers can manage Ozark stream ecosystems for overall human benefit,” said Evans-White.