Change in microcrustacea community composition following Commonwealth environmental watering actions An exchange of microinvertebrate species and biomass (density and length) between channels and wetlands during reconnection events Peak in microinvertebrate density and length coinciding with rise in abundance and condition of fish larvae following reconnection events. Evaluation questions metrics Covariates Sampling regime What did Relative proportion of Carbon Aligned with larval fish Commonwealth microcrustacean Nutrients monitoring environmental water (taxonomic groups) quality Murrumbidgee 2 contribute to breeding Density of Predators zones, - 3 river sites per and recruitment of microcrustaceans Discharge zone aligned with riverine native fish? Size fraction of key Height larval fish monitoring taxonomic groups Cease to flow (fortnightly sampling for 3 months, 5 in 5 years) What did Composition of benthic Aligned with core Commonwealth and pelagic wetland monitoring environmental water microcrustacean sites contribute to wetland communities 12 sites across 3 zones: productivity nutrients Mid- Murrumbidgee, and carbon fluxes, Redbank, primary productivity Plus an additional 4 river sites (CHL a) and secondary productivity as control ( n=16) - 5 in (Microinvertebrates) 5 years, 4 surveys per year, benthic and pelagic composite Option component costed with return flows What did Relative proportion of Connection period Murrumbidgee River Commonwealth benthic Number of zone 4 aligned with environmental water microcrustaceans connections return flow monitoring contribute to (taxonomic groups) rise intensive sampling (3 in connectivity between Density of Antecedent conditions 5 years) rivers and wetlands? microcrustaceans (wet or dry before Size fraction of key filling) taxonomic groups Time since last inundation Water temperature Water quality Nutrients, carbon Primary productivity (Chlorophyll a)
Change in microcrustacea community composition following Commonwealth environmental watering actions An exchange of microinvertebrate species and biomass (density and length) between channels and wetlands during reconnection events Peak in microinvertebrate density and length coinciding with rise in abundance and condition of fish larvae following reconnection events. Evaluation questions metrics Covariates Sampling regime What did Commonwealth environmental water contribute to breeding and recruitment of riverine native fish? Relative proportion of microcrustacean (taxonomic groups) Density of microcrustaceans Size fraction of key taxonomic groups Carbon Nutrients quality Predators Discharge Height Cease to flow Aligned with larval fish monitoring Murrumbidgee 2 zones, - 3 river sites per zone aligned with larval fish monitoring (fortnightly sampling for 3 months, 5 in 5 years) What did Commonwealth environmental water contribute to wetland productivity nutrients and carbon fluxes, primary productivity (CHL a) and secondary productivity (Microinvertebrates) Composition of benthic and pelagic microcrustacean communities Aligned with core wetland monitoring sites 12 sites across 3 zones: Mid- Murrumbidgee, Redbank, Plus an additional 4 river sites as control ( n=16) - 5 in 5 years, 4 surveys per year, benthic and pelagic composite Option component costed with return flows What did Commonwealth environmental water contribute to connectivity between rivers and wetlands? Relative proportion of benthic microcrustaceans (taxonomic groups) Density of microcrustaceans Size fraction of key taxonomic groups Connection period Number of connections rise Antecedent conditions (wet or dry before filling) Time since last inundation Water temperature Water quality Nutrients, carbon Primary productivity (Chlorophyll a) Murrumbidgee River zone 4 aligned with return flow monitoring intensive sampling (3 in 5 years)