Coarse Woody Debris In Lentic Systems
Timothy E. Essington
- BS 1991-University of Michigan, Biology
- MS 1995-University of Minnesota, Fisheries
James F. Kitchell, Advisor
Although the role of coarse woody debris in lode systems has been well studied, the role of coarse woody debris in lentic systems is not as well understood. As in streams, coarse woody debris in lakes may provide fish refuge from avian and fish predators, causing fish to preferentially utilize areas with coarse woody debris.
This may be particularly true during nesting, when adults and offspring are susceptible to predation. Additionally, the presence of a structurally complex environment may alter the feeding habits of some fishes, particularly benthic-oriented feeders which may consume invertebrate colonizers of coarse woody debris. I will examine how coarse woody debris affects the reproductive success and habitat utilization of largemouth bass and the feeding habits of bluegill sunfish in two north temperate lakes.
NSF Graduate Research Traineeship
Scale-Dependent Landscape Effects On Doc Concentrations In North Temperate Lakes
Sarah Gergel
BS-1992, University of Florida-Gainesville, Wildlife Ecology, MS-expected 1996, University of Wisconsin Madison, Zoology
Monica Turner, Advisor
The objective of this study is to attempt to quantify the interactions between pattern in the landscapes (e.g., relative abundance and spatial arrangements of various land-cover and land-use classes) surrounding north temperate lakes to address the question:
At what scale(s) do landscape attributes exert a detectable influence on lakes?
The dependent variables to be addressed initially include dissolved organic carbon, silica, calcium and alkalinity — signals that might be expected to show a strong land influence. The initial study will focus on the northern lake district in Wisconsin.