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Examining Ecological and Ecosystem Level Impacts of Aquatic Invasive Species in Lake Michigan Using An Ecosystem Productivity Model, LM-Eco
Citation:
MILLER, D. H., R. G. KREIS, X. XIA, AND W. MELENDEZ. Examining Ecological and Ecosystem Level Impacts of Aquatic Invasive Species in Lake Michigan Using An Ecosystem Productivity Model, LM-Eco . Presented at 17th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, San Diego, CA, August 29 - September 02, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
To document research results.
Description:
Ecological and ecosystem-level impacts of aquatic invasive species in Lake Michigan were examined using the Lake Michigan Ecosystem Model (LM-Eco). The LM-Eco model includes a detailed description of trophic levels and their interactions within the lower food web of Lake Michigan. The LM-Eco modeling construct has been applied in two phases to investigate ecosystem-level responses and effects corresponding with aquatic invasive species. 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. 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. A second phase of the LM-Eco modeling construct focuses on benthic organisms including the invasive dreissenid mussels, zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis), as well as 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. Model simulations allowed for examination of interactions between the invasive and native species 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.