Dec. 14, 2007 \ The Clarion
NEWS
Page 3
High biodiversity found in Kings Creel(
by Ben Goff
News Editor
A recent study conducted by Dr. Jenifer
Frick’s BIO 281 “Animals and Plants of the
Southern Appalachians” class revealed
that all species present in Kings Creek
before a major restoration project
completed in 2006 are now found there once
again, with the notable exception of trout.
Kings Creek was chaimelized (straitened
out) at an unknown time in the past, which
disrupted the natural ecosystem and lead
to flooding and erosion problems. A large-
scale project to “re-meander” a section of
the creek downstream of the track in order
to return it to a more natural state and
alleviate these problems was completed in
the spring of 2006 and has proven to be a
successful effort.
According to Frick, who has monitored
biodiversity in Kings Creek for nearly nine
years, macroinvertibrates (small
aquatic animals) returned to the
restored creek section almost
immediately, with trout being the last
species in the ecosystem to return.
Trout are very sensitive to variances
in water temperature and, according to
Frick, water temperature in the restored
section of the creek may have been
altered due to the loss of trees and
shrubs near the creek that provided
necessary shade. Trout will likely
return within a few years, once
vegetation along the stream banks
grows sufficiently thick to provide
adequate shade.
Frick has seen consistently higher
species diversity in the section of creek
that was restored than in sites
upstream. Because the up-stream
section shade and the deeper pools
that are present in the more natural
downstream section this part of the
creek is not able to support trout and
some other species.
The electroshock fishing technique
used in these studies involves passing
a mild electric current thorough the
creek that temporarily paralyzes fish,
allowing them to be easily captured and
inventoried before being returned to the
creek.
Photo courtesy J.Frick
A fisheries bioiogist assistant from the North Caroiina Wiidiife Resources Commission' (front) woris
with students (ieft to right) Chad Campbeii, Ben Goff, and Devin Gentry to conduct an eiectroshoci
fishing study of Kings Creei. The assistant is using an eiectroshoci device to pass a current through
the water between two probes, temporariiy paraiyzing fish and a aiiowing them to be captured in nets.
Breaking News:
Body found downtown
from Staff Reports
The Brevard Police Department dug up a
body on Wednesday that had been buried
in the backyard of a home on South
Caldwell Street.
According to Police Chief Deimis Wilde,
the body was buried in a shallow grave in
the backyard.
Police were alerted after Thomas Reid, the
owner of the house, noticed a patch of what
appeared to be freshly dug dirt in his
backyard. The man began digging at the
spot and found an arm.
The body was exhumed last night, and is
being sent to Raleigh for an autopsy.Pohce
have not ruled out that the body is that of
David Morgan, a local man who went
missing on Monday.
The Clarion's News
Editor position is
open for next
semester. Get credit
at the 300-level for
doing a fun and
exciting service for
the school, if
interested, e-mail
Clarion@brevard.edu.