The influence of low-intensity watershed development on the hydrology, geomorphology, physicochemistry and macroinvertebrate diversity of small coastal plains streams

Coastal areas are under increasing pressures from human population growth and expansion, resulting in widespread conversion of forested and agricultural lands to low-density residential development. We investigated stream response to urban land use in 13 small coastal watersheds with low-levels of impervious surface cover (IS, 1.5 − 10.9%). Specifically, we examined putative mechanistic relationships between pre-selected land-cover categories...