RUI: A Geomorphic-Trophic Hypothesis for Arctic Lake Productivity

University Of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro NC

Investigators

Abstract

00-90202 Hershey RUI: A geomorphic trophic hypothesis for arctic lake productivity Studies of controls of lake productivity have historically focused on the water column-the pelagic zone, emphasizing either bottom up physiochemical constraints, or top-down food web constraints. Neither paradigm is fully adequate to describe many small lakes of the world, because in shallow lakes, substrate-associated (benthic) primary production is important. This project will test the hypothesis that Arctic lake algal, invertebrate, and fish production, and the distribution of production between benthic and pelagic compartments, can be predicted based on landscape criteria, lake geomorphology, and food web configuration. A complete understanding of the relationships between landscape features, lake geomorphology, and trophic structure in determining both benthic and pelagic productivity is lacking for any system of lakes. This work will contribute substantially to the understanding of these relationships for shallow lakes, which are common in lake districts worldwide. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is primarily an undergraduate institution with a substantial minority population. The proposed work will actively include undergraduates, providing them with opportunities to perform supervised projects for which they will have primary responsibility, involving them in all aspects of field work, and engaging them in the overall scope of the larger project.