An assessment of water quality in tropical streams located in primary and secondary rainforest By Emily Schultz Supervisor: Cheryl Baduini

Introduction Hacienda Baru vs. Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology (FCRE) vs. Dominical Hacienda Baru vs. Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology (FCRE) vs. Dominical E. coli and other fecal coliforms E. coli and other fecal coliforms Nutrients Nutrients - Phosphate - Phosphate - Nitrate - Nitrate - Nitrite - Nitrite - Ammonia - Ammonia

Sites Hacienda Baru: Primary Stream Head, Above Camp, Below Camp, Below Ceibo, Primary/Secondary Frontier, Baru Bridge Hacienda Baru: Primary Stream Head, Above Camp, Below Camp, Below Ceibo, Primary/Secondary Frontier, Baru Bridge Baru River – Dominical Bridge, Baru Mouth Baru River – Dominical Bridge, Baru Mouth FCRE: Terciopelo Spring, North Creek Falls, Cacao Waterfall, Mid-Cacao, Terciopelo Road Bridge, Cacao Road Bridge FCRE: Terciopelo Spring, North Creek Falls, Cacao Waterfall, Mid-Cacao, Terciopelo Road Bridge, Cacao Road Bridge

FCRE Sites

Methods and Materials Bacteria Bacteria - Sampling - Sampling - Growing - Growing - Counting - Counting Nutrients Nutrients - Sampling - Sampling - Analyzing - Analyzing Other Other - Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, Salinity, pH - Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, Salinity, pH - Turbidity - Turbidity

Results Figure 1. Number of colonies of bacteria per 100 mL (mean ± SE, n=6) at Hacienda Baru as compared to FCRE. White= Hacienda Baru, Grey= FCRE.

Results Figure 2. Levels of nitrate (mean ± SE, n=6) in stream water at Hacienda Baru and FCRE. Figure 3. Levels of nitrite (mean ± SE, n=6) in stream water at Hacienda Baru and FCRE. Figure 4. Levels of phosphate (mean ± SE, n=6) in stream water at Hacienda Baru and FCRE.

Results Figure 5. Temperature of stream water (mean ± SE, n=6) at Hacienda Baru and FCRE.

Results Figure 6. Number of E. coli colonies per 100 mL (mean ± SE) at all sites during the each season. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

Results Figure 7. Number of other coliform colonies per 100 mL (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

Results Figure 8. Number of total coliform colonies per 100 mL (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

Results Figure 9. Levels of nitrate (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

Results Figure 10. Levels of nitrite (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

Results Figure 12. Temperature (mean ± SE) at all sites during the different seasons. White=Dry, Grey=Almost Rainy, Black=Rainy

Conclusions E. coli E. coli - More at Hacienda Baru: greater animal population - More at Hacienda Baru: greater animal population - More during dry season: less water in streams - More during dry season: less water in streams Other coliforms Other coliforms - Higher at Firestone - Higher at Firestone - No variation by season - No variation by season - Some coliforms from soil - Some coliforms from soil - Enter stream during rain events - Enter stream during rain events Effect of temperature Effect of temperature - Not visible in correlation - Not visible in correlation - Can be seen in seasonal comparison - Can be seen in seasonal comparison

Conclusions Nitrate Nitrate - Higher at Hacienda Baru - Higher at Hacienda Baru - Higher during dry season at Hacienda Baru - Higher during dry season at Hacienda Baru - More nitrate accumulation in soil during dry season at Hacienda Baru - More nitrate accumulation in soil during dry season at Hacienda Baru Nitrite Nitrite - Very low concentrations - Very low concentrations - Too much noise - Too much noise Phosphate Phosphate - No difference between sites - No difference between sites - Soil is main source - Soil is main source

Acknowledgments I would first like to thank Dr. Cheryl Baduini for I would first like to thank Dr. Cheryl Baduini for supervising this project. Additionally, I would like to thank Drs. Don McFarlane, Keith Christianson, Katie Purvis-Roberts, and Diane Thomson for their help and advice in Costa Rica. I would also like to thank Alicia Hill, Alexandra Binder, Keala Cummings, and especially Sam Scott for their help with data collection when necessary. For her help with the statistical analysis, I would like to thank Dr. Kristen Johnson. This research would not have been possible without the W. M. Keck Foundation grant to the Joint Science Department, supervising this project. Additionally, I would like to thank Drs. Don McFarlane, Keith Christianson, Katie Purvis-Roberts, and Diane Thomson for their help and advice in Costa Rica. I would also like to thank Alicia Hill, Alexandra Binder, Keala Cummings, and especially Sam Scott for their help with data collection when necessary. For her help with the statistical analysis, I would like to thank Dr. Kristen Johnson. This research would not have been possible without the W. M. Keck Foundation grant to the Joint Science Department, Scripps College. Scripps College.