1. We studied the effects of different temperature regimes on leaf litter processing in three forested Appalachian headwater streams of different pH (mean pH = 4.2, 6.5, 7.5). 2. We compared leaf breakdown rates, microbial biomass and macroinvertebrate shredder density and biomass between two 12‐week processing periods (October–January and November–February) in each stream. Leaf processing rates were calculated both as k (day–1) and kd (degree day–1). 3. There were no significant differences in processing rates (k day–1) between the two study periods for any leaf species in any stream. The average difference in temperature between the two study periods was 175 degree days. Shredder density was significantly higher during the earlier study period on 40% of the sample dates, but shredder biomass was not significantly different between the two study periods. ATP concentration was significantly higher during the early study period for 60% of the sample dates. 4. More significant differences in these variables (shredder density and biomass, ATP concentration) were seen among the three study streams than between the two study periods. This indicates that in this study other factors, particularly stream pH, contributed more to processing rate variation than did differences in thermal regime.

Recent studies have shown that local variation in sediment geochemistry can have significant effects on settlement rates of benthic invertebrates. For example, elevated porewater ammonium concentrations in soft-sediment benthic systems may result in decreased recruitment rates of settling larvae. Recruitment responses of the benthic polychaete Arenicola cristata and the bivalve Mercenaria mercenaria to varying ammonium concentrations were measured in realistic flow environments.Experiments made novel use of ammonium-spiked polyacrylamide gels placed beneath field-collected sediment, which produced predictable porewater ammonium concentrations. Post-larval arenicolids and Mercenaria were allowed to settle in an annular flume containing sediment treatments with varying ammonium concentrations. Porewater ammonium data indicated successful manipulation of geochemical properties without contamination of overlying water. In Mercenaria trials, recruit retention was low. For Arenicola trials, significant retention differences were observed as a function of ammonium concentration, and indicate that ammonium plays a significant role in determining recruitment patterns and hence juvenile abundance.