Ecosystems We Study: Freshwater Systems
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By Land Management Research Program
September 26, 2022
Managing the world’s freshwater ecosystems including lakes, rivers, and springs, and the water they supply to meet environmental and societal needs in a changing climate is one of the biggest challenges for the 21st century.
Fresh waters are one of the most valuable and threatened resources worldwide. They supply critical services to society and harbor many of the world’s most imperiled species. From seasonal pools to the Great Lakes, freshwater systems play many important roles in the environment such as water purification, providing water for vegetation, and flood prevention. As habitat, wetlands support more than fish, amphibians, and waterfowl. Wetlands provide critical resources for species ranging from moose to bats, and beavers to butterflies.
Oftentimes there is no stark boundary between aquatic and terrestrial systems, and animals, nutrients, and even pollution move freely between them. Rivers also connect the terrestrial landscapes to offshore marine systems. USGS scientists conduct research on the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems; efficacy of various management, conservation, and restoration practices, and how the uses of aquatic ecosystems affect the watershed and its biodiversity.
Freshwater Research
Freshwater Research
Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research is listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater data is available from the button below.
Filter Total Items: 16
No Result Found
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater publications is available from the button below.
Filter Total Items: 85
Outsized nutrient contributions from small tributaries to a Great Lake Outsized nutrient contributions from small tributaries to a Great Lake
Excessive nutrient inputs from tributary streams and rivers contribute to harmful algal blooms and coastal ecosystem degradation worldwide. However, the role that small tributaries play in coastal nutrient dynamics remains unknown because most monitoring and regulatory efforts focus only on the largest tributaries. We combined a 6-d sampling effort with discharge modeling to characterize...
Authors
Robert Mooney, Emily Stanley, William C. Rosenthal, Peter C. Esselman, Anthony Kendall, Peter McIntyre
Cross-ecosystem linkages and trace metals at the land-water interface Cross-ecosystem linkages and trace metals at the land-water interface
At low concentrations, trace metals are critical for sustaining life on Earth. However, at high concentrations, they become a global contaminant with particularly strong effects on freshwater communities. These effects can propagate to terrestrial ecosystems in part by altering production and community structure of adult aquatic insect emergence and aquatic insect-mediated metal fluxes...
Authors
Johanna Kraus, Justin F. Pomeranz
Metamorphosis and the impact of contaminants on ecological subsidies Metamorphosis and the impact of contaminants on ecological subsidies
Animals with complex life histories such as aquatic insects and amphibians link freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems when they transition from water to land during development. This transition requires metamorphosis from juvenile to adult life stages. Metamorphosis is a stressful and ecologically sensitive life history event. Exposure to contaminants during juvenile development (before...
Authors
Jeff Wesner, Johanna Kraus, Brianna Henry, Jacob Kerby
Synthesis: A framework for predicting the dark side of ecological subsidies Synthesis: A framework for predicting the dark side of ecological subsidies
In this chapter, we synthesize the state of the science regarding ecological subsidies and contaminants at the land-water interface and suggest research and management approaches for linked freshwater-terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, we focus on movements of animals with complex life histories and the detrital inputs associated with animal and plant matter delivered to freshwaters...
Authors
Johanna Kraus, Jeff Wessner, David Walters
Shifting food web structure during dam removal—Disturbance and recovery during a major restoration action Shifting food web structure during dam removal—Disturbance and recovery during a major restoration action
We measured food availability and diet composition of juvenile salmonids over multiple years and seasons before and during the world’s largest dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington State. We conducted these measurements over three sediment-impacted sections (the estuary and two sections of the river downstream of each dam) and compared these to data collected from mainstem...
Authors
Sarah Morley, Melissa Foley, Jeffrey Duda, Mathew Beirne, Rebecca Paradis, Rachelle Johnson, Michael McHenry, Mel Elofson, Earnest Sampson, Randall McCoy, Justin Stapleton, George Pess
Elucidating controls on cyanobacteria bloom timing and intensity via Bayesian mechanistic modeling Elucidating controls on cyanobacteria bloom timing and intensity via Bayesian mechanistic modeling
The adverse impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing worldwide. Lake Erie is a North American Great Lake highly affected by cultural eutrophication and summer cyanobacterial HABs. While phosphorus loading is a known driver of bloom size, more nuanced yet crucial questions remain. For example, it is unclear what mechanisms are primarily responsible for initiating...
Authors
Dario Del Giudice, Shiqi Fang, Donald Scavia, Timothy Davis, Mary Evans, Daniel Obenour
Effects of experimental warming and nutrient enrichment on wetland communities at the Arctic’s edge Effects of experimental warming and nutrient enrichment on wetland communities at the Arctic’s edge
Global warming-related changes to freshwater ecosystems in Arctic and Subarctic regions have been magnified by nutrient input from increasing waterfowl populations. To gain insight into how these changes might affect ecosystem function, we conducted a mesocosm experiment in the Subarctic by enriching N and P (1 ×, 10 ×, and 20 × treatments) and increasing mean water temperatures ≤ 3°C...
Authors
Jon M. Davenport, LeeAnn Fishback, Blake R. Hossack
Integrating perspectives to understand lake ice dynamics in a changing world Integrating perspectives to understand lake ice dynamics in a changing world
Ice cover plays a critical role in physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes in lakes. Despite its importance, winter limnology remains relatively understudied. Here, we provide a primer on the predominant drivers of freshwater lake ice cover and the current methodologies used to study lake ice, including in situ and remote sensing observations, physical based models, and...
Authors
Sapna Sharma, Michael Meyer, Joshua Culpepper, Xiao Yang, Stephanie Hampton, Stella Berger, Matthew Brousil, Steven Fradkin, Scott Higgins, Kathi Jankowski, Georgiy Kirillin, Adrianne Smits, Emily Whitaker, Foad Yousef, Shuai Zhang
Integrating perspectives to understand lake ice dynamics in a changing world Integrating perspectives to understand lake ice dynamics in a changing world
Ice cover plays a critical role in physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes in lakes. Despite its importance, winter limnology remains relatively understudied. Here, we provide a primer on the predominant drivers of freshwater lake ice cover and the current methodologies used to study lake ice, including in situ and remote sensing observations, physical based models, and...
Authors
Sapna Sharma, Michael Meyer, Joshua Culpepper, Xiao Yang, Stephanie Hampton, Stella Berger, Matthew Brousil, Steven Fradkin, Scott Higgins, Kathi Jankowski, Georgiy Kirillin, Adrianne Smits, Emily Whitaker, Foad Yousef, Shuai Zhang
Shallow lake management enhanced habitat and attracted waterbirds during fall migration Shallow lake management enhanced habitat and attracted waterbirds during fall migration
Lake water levels are often managed in shallow lakes in order to improve water quality and promote aquatic vegetation that presumably benefits water birds. We aimed to understand whether waterbird abundance and species richness during fall migrations were positively influenced by managed lake water levels at 32 shallow lakes over 10 years. We conducted annual waterbird surveys that...
Authors
Danelle Larson, Steven Cordts, Nicole Hansel-Welch
Nutrients and warming interact to force mountain lakes into unprecedented ecological state Nutrients and warming interact to force mountain lakes into unprecedented ecological state
While deposition of reactive nitrogen (N) in the 20th century has been strongly linked to changes in diatom assemblages in high-elevation lakes, pronounced and contemporaneous changes in other algal groups suggest additional drivers. We explored the origin and magnitude of changes in two mountain lakes from the end of the Little Ice Age at ca. 1850, to ca. 2010, using lake sediments. We...
Authors
Isabella A. Oleksy, Jill S. Baron, Peter Leavitt, Sarah Spaulding
Understanding mountain lakes in a changing world: Introduction to the special issue Understanding mountain lakes in a changing world: Introduction to the special issue
No abstract available.
Authors
Jill S. Baron, Sudeep Chandra, James Elser
Managing the world’s freshwater ecosystems including lakes, rivers, and springs, and the water they supply to meet environmental and societal needs in a changing climate is one of the biggest challenges for the 21st century.
Fresh waters are one of the most valuable and threatened resources worldwide. They supply critical services to society and harbor many of the world’s most imperiled species. From seasonal pools to the Great Lakes, freshwater systems play many important roles in the environment such as water purification, providing water for vegetation, and flood prevention. As habitat, wetlands support more than fish, amphibians, and waterfowl. Wetlands provide critical resources for species ranging from moose to bats, and beavers to butterflies.
Oftentimes there is no stark boundary between aquatic and terrestrial systems, and animals, nutrients, and even pollution move freely between them. Rivers also connect the terrestrial landscapes to offshore marine systems. USGS scientists conduct research on the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems; efficacy of various management, conservation, and restoration practices, and how the uses of aquatic ecosystems affect the watershed and its biodiversity.
Freshwater Research
Freshwater Research
Recent data (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research is listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater data is available from the button below.
Filter Total Items: 16
No Result Found
Recent publications (2020-2022) related to USGS freshwater research are listed below. A complete listing of USGS freshwater publications is available from the button below.
Filter Total Items: 85
Outsized nutrient contributions from small tributaries to a Great Lake Outsized nutrient contributions from small tributaries to a Great Lake
Excessive nutrient inputs from tributary streams and rivers contribute to harmful algal blooms and coastal ecosystem degradation worldwide. However, the role that small tributaries play in coastal nutrient dynamics remains unknown because most monitoring and regulatory efforts focus only on the largest tributaries. We combined a 6-d sampling effort with discharge modeling to characterize...
Authors
Robert Mooney, Emily Stanley, William C. Rosenthal, Peter C. Esselman, Anthony Kendall, Peter McIntyre
Cross-ecosystem linkages and trace metals at the land-water interface Cross-ecosystem linkages and trace metals at the land-water interface
At low concentrations, trace metals are critical for sustaining life on Earth. However, at high concentrations, they become a global contaminant with particularly strong effects on freshwater communities. These effects can propagate to terrestrial ecosystems in part by altering production and community structure of adult aquatic insect emergence and aquatic insect-mediated metal fluxes...
Authors
Johanna Kraus, Justin F. Pomeranz
Metamorphosis and the impact of contaminants on ecological subsidies Metamorphosis and the impact of contaminants on ecological subsidies
Animals with complex life histories such as aquatic insects and amphibians link freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems when they transition from water to land during development. This transition requires metamorphosis from juvenile to adult life stages. Metamorphosis is a stressful and ecologically sensitive life history event. Exposure to contaminants during juvenile development (before...
Authors
Jeff Wesner, Johanna Kraus, Brianna Henry, Jacob Kerby
Synthesis: A framework for predicting the dark side of ecological subsidies Synthesis: A framework for predicting the dark side of ecological subsidies
In this chapter, we synthesize the state of the science regarding ecological subsidies and contaminants at the land-water interface and suggest research and management approaches for linked freshwater-terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, we focus on movements of animals with complex life histories and the detrital inputs associated with animal and plant matter delivered to freshwaters...
Authors
Johanna Kraus, Jeff Wessner, David Walters
Shifting food web structure during dam removal—Disturbance and recovery during a major restoration action Shifting food web structure during dam removal—Disturbance and recovery during a major restoration action
We measured food availability and diet composition of juvenile salmonids over multiple years and seasons before and during the world’s largest dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington State. We conducted these measurements over three sediment-impacted sections (the estuary and two sections of the river downstream of each dam) and compared these to data collected from mainstem...
Authors
Sarah Morley, Melissa Foley, Jeffrey Duda, Mathew Beirne, Rebecca Paradis, Rachelle Johnson, Michael McHenry, Mel Elofson, Earnest Sampson, Randall McCoy, Justin Stapleton, George Pess
Elucidating controls on cyanobacteria bloom timing and intensity via Bayesian mechanistic modeling Elucidating controls on cyanobacteria bloom timing and intensity via Bayesian mechanistic modeling
The adverse impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing worldwide. Lake Erie is a North American Great Lake highly affected by cultural eutrophication and summer cyanobacterial HABs. While phosphorus loading is a known driver of bloom size, more nuanced yet crucial questions remain. For example, it is unclear what mechanisms are primarily responsible for initiating...
Authors
Dario Del Giudice, Shiqi Fang, Donald Scavia, Timothy Davis, Mary Evans, Daniel Obenour
Effects of experimental warming and nutrient enrichment on wetland communities at the Arctic’s edge Effects of experimental warming and nutrient enrichment on wetland communities at the Arctic’s edge
Global warming-related changes to freshwater ecosystems in Arctic and Subarctic regions have been magnified by nutrient input from increasing waterfowl populations. To gain insight into how these changes might affect ecosystem function, we conducted a mesocosm experiment in the Subarctic by enriching N and P (1 ×, 10 ×, and 20 × treatments) and increasing mean water temperatures ≤ 3°C...
Authors
Jon M. Davenport, LeeAnn Fishback, Blake R. Hossack
Integrating perspectives to understand lake ice dynamics in a changing world Integrating perspectives to understand lake ice dynamics in a changing world
Ice cover plays a critical role in physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes in lakes. Despite its importance, winter limnology remains relatively understudied. Here, we provide a primer on the predominant drivers of freshwater lake ice cover and the current methodologies used to study lake ice, including in situ and remote sensing observations, physical based models, and...
Authors
Sapna Sharma, Michael Meyer, Joshua Culpepper, Xiao Yang, Stephanie Hampton, Stella Berger, Matthew Brousil, Steven Fradkin, Scott Higgins, Kathi Jankowski, Georgiy Kirillin, Adrianne Smits, Emily Whitaker, Foad Yousef, Shuai Zhang
Integrating perspectives to understand lake ice dynamics in a changing world Integrating perspectives to understand lake ice dynamics in a changing world
Ice cover plays a critical role in physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes in lakes. Despite its importance, winter limnology remains relatively understudied. Here, we provide a primer on the predominant drivers of freshwater lake ice cover and the current methodologies used to study lake ice, including in situ and remote sensing observations, physical based models, and...
Authors
Sapna Sharma, Michael Meyer, Joshua Culpepper, Xiao Yang, Stephanie Hampton, Stella Berger, Matthew Brousil, Steven Fradkin, Scott Higgins, Kathi Jankowski, Georgiy Kirillin, Adrianne Smits, Emily Whitaker, Foad Yousef, Shuai Zhang
Shallow lake management enhanced habitat and attracted waterbirds during fall migration Shallow lake management enhanced habitat and attracted waterbirds during fall migration
Lake water levels are often managed in shallow lakes in order to improve water quality and promote aquatic vegetation that presumably benefits water birds. We aimed to understand whether waterbird abundance and species richness during fall migrations were positively influenced by managed lake water levels at 32 shallow lakes over 10 years. We conducted annual waterbird surveys that...
Authors
Danelle Larson, Steven Cordts, Nicole Hansel-Welch
Nutrients and warming interact to force mountain lakes into unprecedented ecological state Nutrients and warming interact to force mountain lakes into unprecedented ecological state
While deposition of reactive nitrogen (N) in the 20th century has been strongly linked to changes in diatom assemblages in high-elevation lakes, pronounced and contemporaneous changes in other algal groups suggest additional drivers. We explored the origin and magnitude of changes in two mountain lakes from the end of the Little Ice Age at ca. 1850, to ca. 2010, using lake sediments. We...
Authors
Isabella A. Oleksy, Jill S. Baron, Peter Leavitt, Sarah Spaulding
Understanding mountain lakes in a changing world: Introduction to the special issue Understanding mountain lakes in a changing world: Introduction to the special issue
No abstract available.
Authors
Jill S. Baron, Sudeep Chandra, James Elser