Changing Water Levels in Lake Superior, MI (USA) Impact Periphytic Diatom Assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula
Predicted climate-induced changes in the Great Lakes include increased variability in water levels, which may shift periphyton habitat. Our goal was to determine the impacts of water level changes in Lake Superior on the periphyton community assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula with different surfa...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/3/253 |
| _version_ | 1797409163214585856 |
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| author | M. Megan Woller-Skar Alexandra Locher Ellen Audia Evan W. Thomas |
| author_facet | M. Megan Woller-Skar Alexandra Locher Ellen Audia Evan W. Thomas |
| author_sort | M. Megan Woller-Skar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Predicted climate-induced changes in the Great Lakes include increased variability in water levels, which may shift periphyton habitat. Our goal was to determine the impacts of water level changes in Lake Superior on the periphyton community assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula with different surface geology. At three sites, we identified periphyton assemblages as a function of depth, determined surface area of periphyton habitat using high resolution bathymetry, and estimated the impact of water level changes in Lake Superior on periphyton habitat. Our results suggest that substrate geology influences periphyton community assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Using predicted changes in water levels, we found that a decrease in levels of 0.63 m resulted in a loss of available surface area for periphyton habitat by 600 to 3000 m<sup>2</sup> per 100 m of shoreline with slopes ranging 2 to 9°. If water levels rise, the surface area of substrate will increase by 150 to 370 m<sup>2</sup> per 100 m of shoreline, as the slopes above the lake levels are steeper (8–20°). Since periphyton communities vary per site, changes in the surface area of the substrate will likely result in a shift in species composition, which could alter the structure of aquatic food webs and ecological processes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:09:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a5743d8d8a946598445887b87282279 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:09:23Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a5743d8d8a946598445887b872822792023-12-03T14:01:24ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412021-01-0113325310.3390/w13030253Changing Water Levels in Lake Superior, MI (USA) Impact Periphytic Diatom Assemblages in the Keweenaw PeninsulaM. Megan Woller-Skar0Alexandra Locher1Ellen Audia2Evan W. Thomas3Department of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USADepartment of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USADepartment of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USADepartment of Biology, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL 60554, USAPredicted climate-induced changes in the Great Lakes include increased variability in water levels, which may shift periphyton habitat. Our goal was to determine the impacts of water level changes in Lake Superior on the periphyton community assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula with different surface geology. At three sites, we identified periphyton assemblages as a function of depth, determined surface area of periphyton habitat using high resolution bathymetry, and estimated the impact of water level changes in Lake Superior on periphyton habitat. Our results suggest that substrate geology influences periphyton community assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Using predicted changes in water levels, we found that a decrease in levels of 0.63 m resulted in a loss of available surface area for periphyton habitat by 600 to 3000 m<sup>2</sup> per 100 m of shoreline with slopes ranging 2 to 9°. If water levels rise, the surface area of substrate will increase by 150 to 370 m<sup>2</sup> per 100 m of shoreline, as the slopes above the lake levels are steeper (8–20°). Since periphyton communities vary per site, changes in the surface area of the substrate will likely result in a shift in species composition, which could alter the structure of aquatic food webs and ecological processes.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/3/253Great Lakes water levelsclimate changeperiphytonfood webs |
| spellingShingle | M. Megan Woller-Skar Alexandra Locher Ellen Audia Evan W. Thomas Changing Water Levels in Lake Superior, MI (USA) Impact Periphytic Diatom Assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula Water Great Lakes water levels climate change periphyton food webs |
| title | Changing Water Levels in Lake Superior, MI (USA) Impact Periphytic Diatom Assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula |
| title_full | Changing Water Levels in Lake Superior, MI (USA) Impact Periphytic Diatom Assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula |
| title_fullStr | Changing Water Levels in Lake Superior, MI (USA) Impact Periphytic Diatom Assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changing Water Levels in Lake Superior, MI (USA) Impact Periphytic Diatom Assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula |
| title_short | Changing Water Levels in Lake Superior, MI (USA) Impact Periphytic Diatom Assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula |
| title_sort | changing water levels in lake superior mi usa impact periphytic diatom assemblages in the keweenaw peninsula |
| topic | Great Lakes water levels climate change periphyton food webs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/3/253 |
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