Defense Date

4-8-2025

Graduation Date

Spring 5-9-2025

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

thesis

Degree Name

MS

Department

Environmental Science and Management (ESM)

School

School of Science and Engineering

Committee Chair

Brady Porter

Committee Member

Elizabeth Dakin

Committee Member

John Stolz

Keywords

fracking, oil, gas, fish, stream, ecology, invertebrate, insect, chemistry

Abstract

Much of southwestern Pennsylvania has been central to a rapid increase in development for unconventional natural gas extraction in the past two decades. The continued monitoring of streams over their lifetime as extraction sites is pivotal to understanding the effects of fracking on local waterways and their ability to provide for wildlife and human use. Here, using multiple indices of biotic integrity (IBI), I perform analyses of fish and macroinvertebrate communities as well as water chemistry on two streams, Bates Fork (with shale wells) and Fonner Run (without), as part of a follow-up to work performed there from 2010-2012. Fish and macroinvertebrate surveys revealed stable communities between studies but fish community integrity varied heavily by IBI used. Water chemistry was found to be mostly consistent with normal surface water. Overall, this study provides a continuing baseline for further monitoring, while highlighting the issue of inconsistency between different IBI.

Language

English

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