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Application of a Lower Food Resulting from Aquatic Invasive Species in Lake Michigan
Citation:
MILLER, D. H., R. G. KREIS, JR., W. HUANG, AND X. XIA. Application of a Lower Food Resulting from Aquatic Invasive Species in Lake Michigan. Presented at 16th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, Montreal, QC, CANADA, April 19 - 23, 2009.
Impact/Purpose:
Lake Michigan Ecosystem Model (LM-Eco) that includes a detailed description of trophic levels and their interactions was developed for Lake Michigan. The LM-Eco model construct has been applied in two phases to investigate ecosystem-level responses and effects corresponding with aquatic invasive species within the lower food web of the lake.
Description:
Lake Michigan Ecosystem Model (LM-Eco) that includes a detailed description of trophic levels and their interactions was developed for Lake Michigan. The LM-Eco model construct has been applied in two phases to investigate ecosystem-level responses and effects corresponding with aquatic invasive species within the lower food web of the lake. The first phase includes examining the effect of the invasive species Bythotrephes longimanus on individual zooplankton species based upon extensive field data collected at multiple locations in Lake Michigan during the 1994-1995 Lake Michigan Mass Balance Study. Field data collected at 15 sampling stations within Lake Michigan over a series of 8 sampling cruises throughout a 2 year period demonstrated that over 65% of zooplankton species exhibited a decline with the occurrence of Bythotrephes in the sample. The LM-Eco model was successfully applied to simulate the trends of Bythotrephes and zooplankton abundance as observed in the collected field data. Model simulations allowed for examination of interactions between the invader Bythotrephes and native zooplankton groups on a resolution of 5km by 5km locations throughout Lake Michigan. Analysis was completed as a time series specific to individual field sampling locations within the lake, and also on a lake wide scale. Further, the LM-Eco model was utilized in conjunction with more recent field data collected from 1998 through 2004 to forecast population dynamics of Bythotrephes and zooplankton in Lake Michigan throughout a 15 year period beyond the 1994-1995 LMMBP. The second phase of the LM-Eco modeling construct focuses on benthic organisms including invasive dreissenid mussels and the native amphipod Diporeia. Application of the second phase of the model allows for investigation of trends for interaction between nutrients, dreissenids, Diporeia, zooplankton and phytoplankton dynamics.