Smoke from regional wildfires alters lake ecology
Abstract Wildfire smoke often covers areas larger than the burned area, yet the impacts of smoke on nearby aquatic ecosystems are understudied. In the summer of 2018, wildfire smoke covered Castle Lake (California, USA) for 55 days. We quantified the influence of smoke on the lake by comparing the p...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89926-6 |
| _version_ | 1818682557839966208 |
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| author | Facundo Scordo Sudeep Chandra Erin Suenaga Suzanne J. Kelson Joshua Culpepper Lucia Scaff Flavia Tromboni Timothy J. Caldwell Carina Seitz Juan E. Fiorenza Craig E. Williamson Steven Sadro Kevin C. Rose Simon R. Poulson |
| author_facet | Facundo Scordo Sudeep Chandra Erin Suenaga Suzanne J. Kelson Joshua Culpepper Lucia Scaff Flavia Tromboni Timothy J. Caldwell Carina Seitz Juan E. Fiorenza Craig E. Williamson Steven Sadro Kevin C. Rose Simon R. Poulson |
| author_sort | Facundo Scordo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Wildfire smoke often covers areas larger than the burned area, yet the impacts of smoke on nearby aquatic ecosystems are understudied. In the summer of 2018, wildfire smoke covered Castle Lake (California, USA) for 55 days. We quantified the influence of smoke on the lake by comparing the physics, chemistry, productivity, and animal ecology in the prior four years (2014–2017) to the smoke year (2018). Smoke reduced incident ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation by 31% and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) by 11%. Similarly, underwater UV-B and PAR decreased by 65 and 44%, respectively, and lake heat content decreased by 7%. While the nutrient limitation of primary production did not change, shallow production in the offshore habitat increased by 109%, likely due to a release from photoinhibition. In contrast, deep-water, primary production decreased and the deep-water peak in chlorophyll a did not develop, likely due to reduced PAR. Despite the structural changes in primary production, light, and temperature, we observed little significant change in zooplankton biomass, community composition, or migration pattern. Trout were absent from the littoral-benthic habitat during the smoke period. The duration and intensity of smoke influences light regimes, heat content, and productivity, with differing responses to consumers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:20:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6522dd6e8e634371b999370d8c0d0fcb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T10:20:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-6522dd6e8e634371b999370d8c0d0fcb2022-12-21T21:52:48ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-05-0111111410.1038/s41598-021-89926-6Smoke from regional wildfires alters lake ecologyFacundo Scordo0Sudeep Chandra1Erin Suenaga2Suzanne J. Kelson3Joshua Culpepper4Lucia Scaff5Flavia Tromboni6Timothy J. Caldwell7Carina Seitz8Juan E. Fiorenza9Craig E. Williamson10Steven Sadro11Kevin C. Rose12Simon R. Poulson13Global Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, RenoGlobal Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, RenoGlobal Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, RenoGlobal Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, RenoGlobal Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, RenoGlobal Water Futures, CFREF, University of SaskatchewanGlobal Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, RenoGlobal Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, RenoGlobal Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, RenoConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura, (IFEVA)Department of Biology, Miami UniversityDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, DavisDepartment of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteDepartment of Geological Sciences and Engineering, University of Nevada, RenoAbstract Wildfire smoke often covers areas larger than the burned area, yet the impacts of smoke on nearby aquatic ecosystems are understudied. In the summer of 2018, wildfire smoke covered Castle Lake (California, USA) for 55 days. We quantified the influence of smoke on the lake by comparing the physics, chemistry, productivity, and animal ecology in the prior four years (2014–2017) to the smoke year (2018). Smoke reduced incident ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation by 31% and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) by 11%. Similarly, underwater UV-B and PAR decreased by 65 and 44%, respectively, and lake heat content decreased by 7%. While the nutrient limitation of primary production did not change, shallow production in the offshore habitat increased by 109%, likely due to a release from photoinhibition. In contrast, deep-water, primary production decreased and the deep-water peak in chlorophyll a did not develop, likely due to reduced PAR. Despite the structural changes in primary production, light, and temperature, we observed little significant change in zooplankton biomass, community composition, or migration pattern. Trout were absent from the littoral-benthic habitat during the smoke period. The duration and intensity of smoke influences light regimes, heat content, and productivity, with differing responses to consumers.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89926-6 |
| spellingShingle | Facundo Scordo Sudeep Chandra Erin Suenaga Suzanne J. Kelson Joshua Culpepper Lucia Scaff Flavia Tromboni Timothy J. Caldwell Carina Seitz Juan E. Fiorenza Craig E. Williamson Steven Sadro Kevin C. Rose Simon R. Poulson Smoke from regional wildfires alters lake ecology Scientific Reports |
| title | Smoke from regional wildfires alters lake ecology |
| title_full | Smoke from regional wildfires alters lake ecology |
| title_fullStr | Smoke from regional wildfires alters lake ecology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Smoke from regional wildfires alters lake ecology |
| title_short | Smoke from regional wildfires alters lake ecology |
| title_sort | smoke from regional wildfires alters lake ecology |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89926-6 |
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