Trends in nutrient concentrations in Hatchery Bay, western Lake Erie, before and after Dreissena polymorpha

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1202-1209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth E. Holland ◽  
Thomas H. Johengen ◽  
Alfred M. Beeton
Keyword(s):  
Total Phosphorus ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Total Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus, ammonium-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, silica, and chloride have all increased since the establishment of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in Hatchery Bay, western Lake Erie, in 1988. Total phosphorus concentrations have changed little. These results are from 188 samples collected weekly and year round before the establishment of Dreissena (1984–1987) and 192 samples post-Dreissena (1990–1993). The mean annual total phosphorus concentration for the three complete post-Dreissena years was 35 μg∙L−1 strikingly similar to the concentration of 36 μg∙L−1, which in 1959 helped to define the waters of Lake Erie as eutrophic. The relative steadiness in total phosphorus may reflect sediment reflux, because Hatchery Bay is a polymictic system. The slight increase in the biologically conservative ion, chloride, in the 1990s, is probably due to the increased precipitation and runoff in the western Lake Erie watershed. Decreased phytoplankton and associated increased water clarity caused by efficient filtering by D. polymorpha, have lessened symptoms of eutrophication and produced a situation where nutrients are not fully utilized, i.e., biological oligotrophy.

scholarly journals Tile Drainage Increases Total Runoff and Phosphorus Export During Wet Years in the Western Lake Erie Basin

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel A. Miller ◽  
Steve W. Lyon
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Nitrate Concentration ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Tile Drainage ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Artificial subsurface (tile) drainage is used in many agricultural areas where soils have naturally poor drainage to increase crop yield and field trafficability. Studies at the field scale indicate that tile drains disproportionately export large soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and nitrate loads to downstream waterbodies relative to other surface and subsurface runoff pathways, but knowledge gaps remain understanding the impact of tile drainage to nutrient export at watershed scales. The Western Lake Erie Basin is susceptible to summertime eutrophic conditions driven by non-point source nutrient pollution due to a shallow mean water depth and land use dominated by agriculture. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of tile drainage on downstream discharge, nutrient concentrations, and nutrient loads for 16 watersheds that drain to the Western Lake Erie Basin. Daily discharge and nutrient concentrations were summarized annually and during the main nutrient loading period (March–July) for 2 years representing normal nutrient loading period precipitation (2018) and above normal precipitation (2019). Results indicate positive correlations between watershed tile drainage percentage and runoff metrics during 2019, but no relationship during 2018. Additionally, SRP concentration and load were positively correlated to watershed tile drainage percentage in 2019, but not in 2018. Watershed tile drainage percentage was correlated with nitrate concentration and load for both years. The SRP concentration-discharge relationships suggested relatively weak, chemodynamic behavior, implying a slight enriching effect where SRP concentrations were greater at higher stream discharge conditions during both years. In contrast, nitrate concentration-discharge relationships suggested strong, enriching chemodynamic behavior during 2018, but chemostatic behavior during 2019. The difference in SRP and nitrate export patterns in the 2 years analyzed highlights the importance of implementing appropriate best management practices that target specific nutrients and treat primary delivery pathways to effectively improve downstream aquatic health conditions.

Projected Changes to the Trophodynamics of PCBs in the Western Lake Erie Ecosystem Attributed to the Presence of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)

1998 ◽  
Vol 32 (24) ◽  
pp. 3862-3867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather A. Morrison ◽  
Frank A. P. C. Gobas ◽  
Rodica Lazar ◽  
D. Michael Whittle ◽  
G. Douglas Haffner
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Projected Changes ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Changes in zooplankton populations in western Lake Erie after establishment of Dreissena polymorpha

2001 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 3798-3804
Author(s):  
Alfred M. Beeton ◽  
John Hageman
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Impacts of zebra mussel on walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) reproduction in western Lake Erie

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 578-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Fitzsimons ◽  
J. H. Leach ◽  
S. J. Nepszy ◽  
V. W. Cairns
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Egg Viability ◽  
Egg Deposition ◽  
Adverse Impacts ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Young Of The Year ◽  
Total Coverage ◽  
Western Lake Erie

A walleye spawning shoal (Sunken Chicken Reef) in western Lake Erie was sampled during the spring of 1990 and 1991 to assess the abundance of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha and to determine its impact on walleye reproduction. Mussel abundance ranged from 76 500/m2 at 1.5 m depth to 344 300/m2 at 4.5 m depth at the shoal (1990). Despite the almost total coverage of spawning beds walleye continued to spawn at the shoal, with no apparent effect of the mussels on egg deposition, egg viability, and interstitial dissolved oxygen. Although preinvasion data for walleye egg deposition are not comparable to data from this study, deposition appears adequate based on good indices of recruitment of young-of-the-year walleye derived from resource agency trawling during 1990 and 1991. Thus there appears to have been no adverse impacts of zebra mussel on walleye reproduction in western Lake Erie during 1990 and 1991.

Forest fire induced impacts on phosphorus, nitrogen, and chlorophyll a concentrations in boreal subarctic lakes of northern Alberta

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (S2) ◽  
pp. 73-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
P McEachern ◽  
E E Prepas ◽  
J J Gibson ◽  
W P Dinsmore
Keyword(s):  
Total Phosphorus ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Chlorophyll Concentration ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Subarctic Lakes ◽  
Total Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Subarctic Region ◽  
Total Dissolved Nitrogen ◽  
Northern Alberta

The biogeochemistry of 10 headwater lakes in burnt peatland-conifer catchments and 14 in unburnt catchments was evaluated throughout a summer 2 years following forest fire in a boreal subarctic region of northern Alberta. Cation exchange within burnt catchments resulted in proton flux and a 9% reduction in mean pH. Lakes in burnt catchments contained more than twofold higher (P << 0.01) mean concentrations of total, total dissolved, and soluble reactive phosphorus, 1.5-fold higher (P << 0.01) concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, and more than 1.2-fold higher (P < 0.05) concentrations of total and total dissolved nitrogen, nitrate + nitrite, and ammonium compared with reference lakes. Total phosphorus concentration explained 86% of the variance in reference lake chlorophyll concentration but was not related to chlorophyll concentration in burnt lakes. Analysis of chlorophyll - total phosphorus residuals suggested that algae in burn-impacted lakes were light limited. With the addition of five lakes burnt between 1961 and 1985, time since disturbance and percent disturbance combined explained 74% of the variance in total phosphorus among burnt lakes. Fire caused increased flux of materials to the study lakes with slow recovery over decades.

Removal of algae by the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) population in western Lake Erie: a bioenergetics approach

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles P. Madenjian
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Mussel Population ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Bioenergetics Model ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Western Lake Erie

A bioenergetics model for growth of a zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) individual was verified with observations on zebra mussel growth in western Lake Erie. The bioenergetics model was then applied to the zebra mussel population in the western basin of Lake Erie to estimate the removal of phytoplankton by mussels. According to the modeling results, the zebra mussel population consumed 5.0 million tonnes of phytoplankton, while 1.4 million tonnes of phytoplankton was deposited in pseudofeces from the mussels. Thus, a total of 6.4 ± 2.4 million tonnes of phytoplankton was removed from the water column by zebra mussel in western Lake Erie during 1990. Primary production was estimated to be 24.8 million tonnes; therefore, zebra mussel removed the equivalent of 26 ± 10% of the primary production for western Lake Erie.

Dramatic Decline of Unionid Bivalves in Offshore Waters of Western Lake Erie After Infestation by the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 2234-2242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don W. Schloesser ◽  
Thomas F. Nalepa
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Zebra Mussel ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Laurentian Great Lakes ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Dramatic Decline ◽  
Heavy Infestation ◽  
Western Lake Erie

Unionid bivalves and attached epizoic zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were collected at one index station in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and at 17 stations in 1991 in offshore waters of western Lake Erie of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Sampling at the index station revealed that the proportion of live unionids declined from 53% in September 1989 to 17% in May–June 1990 and to 0% in September 1990: this 100% mortality coincided with heavy infestation by zebra mussels. Quantitative sampling with a Ponar grab at the 17 stations in 1991 revealed a widespread and dramatic reduction in unionid populations. In 1982, five unionid species occurred at 35% of the stations at a density of 4/m2, whereas in 1991, no live unionid species were found. Qualitative sampling with an epibenthic sled at the 17 stations in 1991 yielded only 4 live specimens of 2 species (Amblema plicata plicata and Fusconaia flava) and 187 dead specimens of 10 species. These and other results indicate that unionid populations are being negatively affected by zebra mussels in the Great Lakes. Similar impacts on unionids are expected to occur where zebra mussels become abundant throughout North America.

A seasonal energy budget for zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in western Lake Erie

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
pp. 2743-2751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann M Stoeckmann ◽  
David W Garton
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Energy Budget ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Shell Growth ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Metabolic Costs ◽  
Western Lake Erie

We constructed a balanced energy budget for zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) from the western basin of Lake Erie during the active growth and reproductive season (May-October). We measured metabolic costs (oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion), body mass change, and feces production weekly and marked mussels to quantify shell growth. Costs of reproduction were measured by inducing spawning four times using serotonin and collecting gametes. After conversion to calories, all energy budget components were combined with published length-frequency distributions and mussel densities to estimate population consumption. We estimated that individual zebra mussel consumption averaged 3.16 cal ·day-1 (1 cal = 4.1868 J). Metabolic costs account for >90% of energy consumption. Mussels <15 mm increased in body mass whereas mussels >15 mm allocated energy to reproduction in lieu of somatic growth. Our estimates of population consumption were sensitive to mussel size distribution, with the most abundant size-class responsible for the greatest proportion of population consumption. Based on published estimates for primary production in western Lake Erie, our energy budget estimated that zebra mussels (10 000 - 50 000 mussels ·m-2) potentially consume an equivalent of 10-50% of summer primary production.

Filtering impacts of larval and sessile zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in western Lake Erie

Oecologia ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh J. MacIsaac ◽  
Gary Sprules ◽  
Ora E. Johannson ◽  
J. H. Leach
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Western Lake Erie
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