Establishment of Regional Phytoremediation Buffer Systems for Ecological Restoration in the Great Lakes Basin, USA. I. Genotype × Environment Interactions

Poplar remediation systems are ideal for reducing runoff, cleaning groundwater, and delivering ecosystem services to the North American Great Lakes and globally. We used phyto-recurrent selection (PRS) to establish sixteen phytoremediation buffer systems (phyto buffers) (buffer groups: 2017 × 6; 2018 × 5; 2019 × 5) throughout the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan watersheds comprised of twelve PRS-selected clones each year. We tested for differences in genotypes, environments, and their interactions for health, height, diameter, and volume from ages one to four years. All trees had optimal health. Mean first-, second-, and third-year volume ranged from 71 ± 26 to 132 ± 39 cm3; 1440 ± 575 to 5765 ± 1132 cm3; and 8826 ± 2646 to 10,530 ± 2110 cm3, respectively. Fourth-year mean annual increment of 2017 buffer group trees ranged from 1.1 ± 0.7 to 7.8 ± 0.5 Mg ha−1 yr−1. We identified generalist varieties with superior establishment across a broad range of buffers (‘DM114’, ‘NC14106’, ‘99038022’, ‘99059016’) and specialist clones uniquely adapted to local soil and climate conditions (‘7300502’, ‘DN5’, ‘DN34’, ‘DN177’, ‘NM2’, ‘NM5’, ‘NM6’). Using generalists and specialists enhances the potential for phytoremediation best management practices that are geographically robust, being regionally designed yet globally relevant.

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Paleohydrology of the upper Laurentian Great Lakes from the late glacial to early Holocene

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1016/j.yqres.2009.01.003 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 71 (3) ◽

pp. 397-408 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Andy Breckenridge ◽

Thomas C. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Lake Michigan ◽

Lake Superior ◽

Late Glacial ◽

Lake Huron ◽

Michigan Basin ◽

Great Lakes Basin ◽

Lake Agassiz ◽

Sharp Drop ◽

Freshwater Fluxes

AbstractBetween 10,500 and 9000 cal yr BP, δ18O values of benthic ostracodes within glaciolacustrine varves from Lake Superior range from − 18 to − 22‰ PDB. In contrast, coeval ostracode and bivalve records from the Lake Huron and Lake Michigan basins are characterized by extreme δ18O variations, ranging from values that reflect a source that is primarily glacial (∼ − 20‰ PDB) to much higher values characteristic of a regional meteoric source (∼ − 5‰ PDB). Re-evaluated age models for the Huron and Michigan records yield a more consistent δ18O stratigraphy. The striking feature of these records is a sharp drop in δ18O values between 9400 and 9000 cal yr BP. In the Huron basin, this low δ18O excursion was ascribed to the late Stanley lowstand, and in the Lake Michigan basin to Lake Agassiz flooding. Catastrophic flooding from Lake Agassiz is likely, but a second possibility is that the low δ18O excursion records the switching of overflow from the Lake Superior basin from an undocumented northern outlet back into the Great Lakes basin. Quantifying freshwater fluxes for this system remains difficult because the benthic ostracodes in the glaciolacustrine varves of Lake Superior and Lake Agassiz may not record the average δ18O value of surface water.

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Glacial Isostatic Adjustment of the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin: Using the Empirical Record of Strandline Deformation for Reconstruction of Early Holocene Paleo-Lakes and Discovery of a Hydrologically Closed Phase*

Géographie physique et Quaternaire ◽

10.7202/014754ar ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 59 (2-3) ◽

pp. 187-210 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

C.F. Michael Lewis ◽

Steve M. Blasco ◽

Pierre L. Gareau

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Response Surface ◽

Lake Michigan ◽

Vertical Motion ◽

Water Levels ◽

Early Holocene ◽

Great Lakes Basin ◽

Isostatic Adjustment ◽

Digital Elevation ◽

Elevation Model

Abstract In the Great Lakes region, the vertical motion of crustal rebound since the last glaciation has decelerated with time, and is described by exponential decay constrained by observed warping of strandlines of former lakes. A composite isostatic response surface relative to an area southwest of Lake Michigan beyond the limit of the last glacial maximum was prepared for the complete Great Lakes watershed at 10.6 ka BP (12.6 cal ka BP). Uplift of sites computed using values from the response surface facilitated the transformation of a digital elevation model of the present Great Lakes basins to represent the paleogeography of the watershed at selected times. Similarly, the original elevations of radiocarbon-dated geomorphic and stratigraphic indicators of former lake levels were reconstructed and plotted against age to define lake level history. A comparison with the independently computed basin outlet paleo-elevations reveals a phase of severely reduced water levels and hydrologically-closed lakes below overflow outlets between 7.9 and 7.0 ka BP (8.7 and 7.8 cal ka BP) in the Huron-Michigan basin. Severe evaporative draw-down is postulated to result from the early Holocene dry climate when inflows of meltwater from the upstream Agassiz basin began to bypass the upper Great Lakes basin.

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Net ecosystem production in the great lakes basin and its implications for the North American missing carbon sink: A hydrologic and stable isotope approach

Global and Planetary Change ◽

10.1016/j.gloplacha.2007.08.004 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 61 (1-2) ◽

pp. 15-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

A KARIM ◽

J VEIZER ◽

J BARTH

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotope ◽

Great Lakes ◽

North American ◽

Carbon Sink ◽

Net Ecosystem Production ◽

Great Lakes Basin ◽

The North ◽

Ecosystem Production ◽

Missing Carbon Sink

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Fishers and whales in Iceland

J. Cetacean Res. Manage. ◽

10.47536/jcrm.v22i1.218 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 111-128

Author(s):

Charla J. Basran ◽

Marianne H. Rasmussen

Keyword(s):

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Humpback Whale ◽

Fishing Effort ◽

Humpback Whales ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Fishing Gear ◽

The North ◽

New Information ◽

Feeding Habitat

In Iceland, as in many places globally, the detrimental impacts of whale interactions with fishing gear on both fisheries and whales are not well understood and managed. This study conducted anonymous questionnaires of Icelandic fishers and interviews of capelin purse seine boat captains to gather first-hand knowledge of the issues fishers face due to whale interaction with their fishing gear. Results suggest that the humpback whale is the large whale species that is most often entangled or encircled in fishing gear and causing damage, however on occasion other large whale species are interacting with gear as well. Interactions between humpback whales and fishing gear appears to be primarily concentrated in the north/northeast and southwest of the country where there is high fishing effort and known humpback whale feeding habitat. Humpback whale interactions with gear occurred most often with capelin purse seines, which are targeting humpback whale prey, and data suggests that bycatch of whales in this fishery may be underreported. Damage and losses due to whale collisions with gear were reported to cost fishers up to 55.000.000ISK, suggesting this can be a costly issue for which mitigation measures should be explored. The use of acoustic â€œpingersâ€ is one mitigation measure that has been previously tested by capelin purse-seiners and is something that captains indicated they would be interested in continuing to try. The creation of a whale entanglement/whale-gear interaction reporting system in Iceland would aid in gathering more data and quantifying how often these events are witnessed and what the consequences of these events are to both the fishers and the whales. This study provides new information about the consequences of large whale interactions with Icelandic fisheries and suggests that future collaboration with fishers can provide insight contributing to best management practices for sustainable fishing and whale conservation.

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Development and Application of Ecosystem Health Indicators in the North American Great Lakes Basin

Applied Ecology and Environmental Management - Handbook of Ecological Indicators for Assessment of Ecosystem Health ◽

10.1201/9780203490181.ch4 ◽

2005 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

H Shear ◽

P Bertram ◽

C Forst ◽

P Horvatin

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

North American ◽

Ecosystem Health ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Great Lakes Basin ◽

The North ◽

North American Great Lakes

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Calibration of a Field-Scale Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Model with Field Placement of Best Management Practices in Alger Creek, Michigan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10030851 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 851 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Katherine Merriman ◽

Amy Russell ◽

Cynthia Rachol ◽

Prasad Daggupati ◽

Raghavan Srinivasan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Swat Model ◽

Scale Model ◽

Field Scale ◽

Best Management ◽

Water Assessment ◽

Soil And Water

Subwatersheds within the Great Lakes “Priority Watersheds” were targeted by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to determine the effectiveness of the various best management practices (BMPs) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service National Conservation Planning (NCP) Database. A Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is created for Alger Creek, a 50 km2 tributary watershed to the Saginaw River in Michigan. Monthly calibration yielded very good Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) ratings for flow, sediment, total phosphorus (TP), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), and total nitrogen (TN) (0.90, 0.79, 0.87, 0.88, and 0.77, respectively), and satisfactory NSE rating for nitrate (0.51). Two-year validation results in at least satisfactory NSE ratings for flow, sediment, TP, DRP, and TN (0.83, 0.54, 0.73, 0.53, and 0.60, respectively), and unsatisfactory NSE rating for nitrate (0.28). The model estimates the effect of BMPs at the field and watershed scales. At the field-scale, the most effective single practice at reducing sediment, TP, and DRP is no-tillage followed by cover crops (CC); CC are the most effective single practice at reducing nitrate. The most effective BMP combinations include filter strips, which can have a sizable effect on reducing sediment and phosphorus loads. At the watershed scale, model results indicate current NCP BMPs result in minimal sediment and nutrient reductions (<10%).

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Tumor Frequencies in Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and Brown Bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus) and Sediment Contaminants in Tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f91-213 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 48 (9) ◽

pp. 1804-1810 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Paul C. Baumann ◽

Michael J. Mac ◽

Stephen B. Smith ◽

John C. Harshbarger

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Liver Neoplasms ◽

Lake Michigan ◽

River Sediment ◽

Liver Tumors ◽

Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Stizostedion Vitreum ◽

Great Lakes Basin ◽

Brown Bullhead ◽

Ictalurus Nebulosus

To better characterize neoplasm epizootics in the Great Lakes basin and their association with families of contaminants, we sampled five locations: the Fox and Menominee rivers, Lake Michigan; Munuscong Lake, St. Mary's River; and the Black and Cuyahoga rivers, Lake Erie. Frequencies of external and liver tumors were determined for brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus) from all locations except the Black River and for walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) from the Lake Michigan and St. Mary's River sites. Sediment samples were analyzed for metals, polychlorinated aromatics, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Liver neoplasms occurred in brown bullhead from the Cuyahoga River and Munuscong Lake; brown bullhead captured from Munuscong Lake were older than those collected from the other locations. Brown bullhead from these same two rivers had elevated hepatosomatic indexes. No liver neoplasms were found in brown bullhead from the Fox and Menominee rivers, although polychlorinated aromatics were highest in both Fox River sediment and Fox and Menominee brown bullhead, and arsenic was highest in Menominee River sediment and fish. Liver neoplasms in brown bullhead from the Cuyahoga River fit the prevailing hypothesis that elevated PAH in sediment can induce cancer in wild fish. The cause of the liver neoplasms in Munuscong Lake brown bullhead is undetermined.

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Recent changes in abundance and cell size of pelagic diatoms in the North American Great Lakes

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.127.1.15 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 127 (1) ◽

pp. 150 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

EUAN D. REAVIE ◽

RICHARD P. BARBIERO

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Cell Size ◽

Climate Warming ◽

Lake Huron ◽

Great Lakes Basin ◽

The North ◽

Centric Diatoms ◽

North American Great Lakes ◽

Consistent Change ◽

Pennate Diatoms

Changes in diatom abundance and cell size in Great Lakes phytoplankton collections were examined from two periods, 1996–1999 and 2007–2008. Trends indicate marked shifts in pelagic diatoms, including diatom total biovolume and cell density declines. Concurrent with these changes have been establishments of invasive species, water quality changes and longer stratification periods resulting from climate warming. No consistent change in cell sizes was observed in diatoms between the two periods in the Great Lakes basin as a whole, but lake- and taxon-specific changes were apparent. Cell size declines include centric and pennate diatoms in the spring in Lake Huron and pennate diatoms in the spring in Lake Superior. Increases in cell size occurred for centric diatoms in Lake Erie and pennate diatoms in the summer in lakes Michigan and Ontario. Some of the more dominant taxa exhibited lake-specific shifts. For instance, lightly-silicified diatoms such as Nitzschia increased in length in Lake Huron, possibly as an adaptation to climate warming and/or declining nutrient supplies. Difficulty in explaining the observed changes in cell sizes is acknowledged, but continued study of these trends is critical to understanding impacts on Great Lakes food webs.

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A Survey of Beaver Location and Habitat to Model Their Distribution in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

The UW National Parks Service Research Station Annual Reports ◽

10.13001/uwnpsrc.2004.3567 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 31-40

Author(s):

William Gribb ◽

Henry Harlow

Keyword(s):

Best Management Practices ◽

National Park ◽

Management Practices ◽

Castor Canadensis ◽

Fur Trade ◽

Early Years ◽

European Countries ◽

Destructive Behavior ◽

Best Management ◽

The North

A species that attracted a considerable amount of attention during the early years of American colonization and western exploration was the beaver (Castor canadensis). So important was this species that treaties between European countries specifically identified the trading of its furs (Long, 2000). It is estimated that over 60 million beavers were removed from the North American landscape between the early 1600s through the late 1800s (Long, 2000). By the beginning of the 1900s it is believed that only 10% of the pre-settlement population of beavers remained. Though not extinct, their numbers were radically reduced because of the fur trade and their "destructive" behavior of cutting trees and ponding water that interfered with America's growth. This perception of their detriment to the environment has been dramatically changed, and they are now perceived as ecosystem engineers that assist in creating beneficial habitat and restoring damaged landscapes (Naiman et al., 1988). Thus, it is essential in this revised role, that we know the distribution of the beaver, their habitats, and to determine the best management practices to utilize their benefits to the ecosystem.

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