LTREB: Responses of high elevation, aquatic ecosystems to interannual climate variability and trends in nutrient inputs

University Of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

Lake and stream ecosystems integrate conditions within their catchments and regional climatic changes. Results of prior studies in high elevation aquatic ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada have indicated changes in the importance of phosphorus to biological activity. The proposed research will test the hypothesis that the changing snow regime and atmospheric inputs of phosphorus are driving ecological changes in high elevation lakes. Continued measurements of chemical and biological conditions in lakes and streams in the southern Sierra Nevada, application of advanced techniques to determine atmospheric inputs, and analyses of phosphorus biogeochemistry in soils and sediments will be conducted to test the hypothesis. High elevation lakes are excellent indicators of regional environmental changes and are increasingly being used by regulatory agencies to establish critical loads for atmospheric pollutants. Further, the importance of montane snowpacks to freshwater supplies of the western states mandates that particular attention be paid to these systems. Continuation of more than two decades of meteorological, hydrological, chemical and biological measurements in sites at high elevation will increase their value as detectors of conditions as regional variations occur. The proposed studies will continue to be used by the National Park Service in interpretative programs to demonstrate the role of scientific research in the National Parks. Engagement of local high school students in the studies fosters an interest in natural environments and encourages these students to attend college and pursue professional careers.