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J Reese Voshell Jr, PhD

Title Professor Phone (540) 231-5707 E-Mail rvoshell@vt.edu Address 302 Price Hall Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061

Aquatic Entomology

My appointment is 70% teaching and 30% research. I teach two courses related to my area of specialization, Ent/Biol 4354 Aquatic Entomology and Ent/Biol/FiW 4484 Freshwater Biomonitoring. I also teach a course in the University Curriculum for Liberal Education (formerly called Core Curriculum) with Stephen Hiner, Ent 2004 Insects and Human Society. This course is included in the "global issues" component of the CLE; thus, it attracts a total of about 1200 students during fall and spring semesters. Mr. Hiner and I also teach several workshops for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the National Conservation Training Center. I am involved with graduate training by serving as major advisor for graduate students in my laboratory and as a committee member for graduate students in several departments, including Biology and Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences. Undergraduates acquire experience in aquatic entomology by working as part-time employees in my laboratory and conducting independent, undergraduate research projects under my supervision.

Over the past 31 years, I have applied ecological knowledge of benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects and other bottom dwelling invertebrates) to develop more effective environmental protection and natural resource management. Benthic macroinvertebrates are the organisms used most often in environmental assessments of surface waters, so there are ample opportunities to interact with a diverse clientele of state and federal agencies as well as citizen groups. My current research interests involve establishing quantitative links between benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and environmental variables, especially stressors resulting from human activities in watersheds. The overall goal of my research program is to understand the determinants of of biological integrity in streams. With this knowledge, we will be more capable of restoring streams to a healthy condition, as required by the Clean Water Act.

Blurb last modified at 2007-07-26 21:33:23.0.

Future Direction

In spite of federal and state laws, thousands of miles of streams are designated as impaired and must be restored to satisfactory ecological integrity.  The aquatic entomology program will focus on pollutants and other forms of environmental stress that present the greatest threats to aquatic organisms and humans and that harm the largest areas of watersheds.  Aquatic insects and other invertebrates will be used to document the degree of ecological impairment, to determine the stressors responsible for the impairment and their sources, and to evaluate the recovery of ecological integrity in streams where restoration programs have been implemented.

Professional Memberships

• North American Benthological Society

Personnel

• Staff
  • Burcher, Chris L
  • Hiner, Stephen W
• Wage or Other Employees
  • Ciparis, Serena
  • Willey, Tara

Former Students and Faculty Associates

• Alan Temple (0) - Curriculum Manager, Conservation Science and Statistics, National Conseervation Training Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Shepherdstown, WV 25443
• Mark Hudy (0) - National Aquatic Ecologist - East USDA Forest Service James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Projects

• Cataloguing specimens of aquatic insects in the Department of Entomology Collection
  We have begun to catalogue all of the specimens of aquatic insects housed in the Department of Entomology Collection that have been identified to species. The data are being stored with software designed specifically for museum collections.
  
  
• Effectiveness of techniques for freshwater biomonitoring using benthic macroinvertebrates
  We have a longstanding interest in improving benthic macroinvertebrate-based biomonitoring methods and data analyses to draw valid conclusions about the environmental health of streams and rivers.
  
  
• Sample analysis and interpretation for the Shenandoah National Park Long-Term Ecological Monitoring System
  After developing the aquatic component of the Long-Term Ecological Monitoring System for Shenandoah National Park in the late 1980's, the Aquatic Entomology Program has continuously performed laboratory analyses of the samples taken by park personnel and assisted with data analysis and interpretation.
  
  
• Using benthic macroinvertebrates to evaluate the effectiveness of stream restoration for improving biological integrity
  Billions of dollars are being spent on stream restoration but the results of these expenditures are unknown, especially in regard to recovery of biological communities, because appropriate post-restoration studies rarely occur. We are addressing this issue by first conducting detailed baseline studies of the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in relation to a wide array of environmental variables in an impaired stream where a restoration program has been implemented. Then, the same stream will be studied over a long time frame (at least 5 years) to follow the recovery of biological integrity and explain how these changes are related to stream restoration efforts.
  
  
• Using benthic macroinvertebrates to identify causes of fish kills in the Shenandoah River
  Recent massive fish kills in the Shenandoah River have caused a significant loss of recreation and economic benefits in Virginia and have become a high profile issue with the public and state government. There is not a single, readily apparent stressor killing the fish, but intensive agriculture in that part of the state (primarily cattle and poultry) is suspected to be involved. The problem is likely the result of multiple stressors operating interactively for brief, irregular time periods. We will be conducting studies of benthic macroinvertebrates to help identify the cause of the fish kills and to suggest actions to prevent them.
  
  

Courses

• ENT 2004 Insects and Human Society (Classroom)
  An appreciation of the past, present and future role of insects with human society. Includes how to identify common insects and other arthropods, the effects of insects on human history; diseases transmitted by insects and their worldwide impact; insects and their influence on our language, literature, and the arts; management of pests of plants, animals, and its effects on environmental pollution; and practical information of how to recognize and manage important insects and arthropods, such as termites in houses and fleas on animals. We also discuss pesticide pollution in various countries, and the problems with pesticide-contaminated food shipped from abroad into the US.
  
  
• ENT 2004 Insects and Human Society (Distance Learning)
  Distance education on-line version of course. An appreciation of the past, present and future role of insects with human society. Includes how to identify common insects and other arthropods, the effects of insects on human history; diseases transmitted by insects and their worldwide impact; insects and their influence on our language, literature, and the arts; management of pests of plants, animals, and its effects on environmental pollution; and practical information of how to recognize and manage important insects and arthropods, such as termites in houses and fleas on animals.
  
  
• ENT 4354 [BIOL 4354] Aquatic Entomology
  Aquatic Entomology covers the taxonomy and ecology of the insects most commonly encountered in freshwater environments. Emphasis is placed on identification and biology of individual taxa. The course also includes the significance of insects in aquatic ecology, environmental pollution, and natural resource management. Prerequisites: Biol 1105, 1106, Biol 1115, 1116
  
  
• ENT 4484 [BIOL 4484] Freshwater Biomonitoring
  This course teaches students how macroinvertebrates and fish are used to monitor the environmental health of freshwater ecosystems. Prerequisites: Biol 2804 and either Biol 4004 or Ent/Biol 4354 or FiW 4424 or FiW 4614
  
  

Resources

• Aquatic Entomology Laboratory
  The Aquatic Entomology Laboratory contains the space and equipment necessary for analyzing benthic macroinvertebrate samples. The equipment consists primarily of state-of-the-art microscopes and computers. The most recent taxonomic literature is kept here to facilitate accurate identification of specimens. In addition, there is storage space for the sampling gear. The lab consists of approximately 550 square feet that houses a laboratory specialist, two graduate students, and several undergraduate wage employees.
  
  
• Teaching Preparation Room
  This prep room houses a large portion of the Department's teaching collection and is a work area for specimen preparation used for instruction. Equipment for dissections and processing of sampled material is also stored in this room.
  
  

Selected Publications

• Braccia, A., Voshell, Jr, J. R. 2007. Benthic macroinvertebrate responses to increasing levels of cattle grazing in Blue Ridge Mountain streams, Virginia, USA. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 131:185-200
• Braccia, A., Voshell, Jr, J. R., Christman, V. D. 2007. The Odonata of newly constructed ponds with life history and production of dominant species. Aquatic Insects 29 (2):115-130
• Braccia, A., Voshell, Jr, J. R. 2006. Adaptations of aquatic insects to habitat and food resources in streams. In: O'Donnell, M. A., (ed.), Tested Studies for Laboratory Teaching, Proceedings of 24th Workshop/Conference, Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE), Blacksburg, Virginia, June 19-23, 2005. 383 pages.
• Braccia, A., Voshell, Jr, J. R. 2006. Benthic macroinvertebrate fauna in small streams used by cattle in the Blue Ridge mountains, Virginia. Northeastern Naturalist 13 (2):269-286
• Braccia, A., Voshell, Jr, J. R. 2006. Environmental factors accounting for benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage structure at the sample scale in streams subjected to a gradient of cattle grazing. Hydrobiologia 573:55-73
• Engel, S. M., Voshell, Jr, J. R. 2002. Volunteer biological monitoring: Can it accurately assess the ecological condition of streams?. American Entomologist 48:164-177
• Voshell, Jr, J. R. 2002. A guide to common freshwater invertebrates of North America. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Co., Blacksburg, Virginia. 442 pages

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