This laboratory experiment was conducted in Greenfield Station Genesee Creek River to determine the environment’s effect on the amount of diverse biological communities in a lotic river. Shredders are macroinvertebrates that feed on coarse particle organic material (CPOM). Macroinvertebrates usually stay in the same habitat and do not migrate, which may be due to them being trapped or frequently receiving a good source of food. They are also an essential part of the freshwater ecosystem by making the water less polluted due to the organic material. Our lab group hypothesized that the number of shredders in the stream does depend on the thickness of the riparian vegetation. This type of vegetation is located along waterways and due to shredders
