A Statistical and Dynamic Modeling Analysis of Phytoplankton Changes in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron During the Zebra Mussel Invasion

Phytoplankton;Saginaw Bay;Phytoplankton Changes in Saginaw Bay During Zebra Mussel Invasion;Natural Resources and Environment

Fishman, DanielScavia, Donald ;

University of Michigan

关键词: Phytoplankton;    Saginaw Bay;    Phytoplankton Changes in Saginaw Bay During Zebra Mussel Invasion;    Natural Resources and Environment;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/60336/Fishman_Thesis_Final.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

The introduction of the invasive freshwater bivalve Dreissena polymorpha altered thelower trophic levels of many North American aquatic ecosystems. In Saginaw Bay, zebramussels became established during the late summer and fall of 1991, causingenvironmental changes and economic losses. Seven years of monitoring datacharacterizing the lower trophic levels of Saginaw Bay before, during, and after thezebra mussel invasion were collected between 1990-1996 by the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. In thisstudy, I investigated shifts in the phytoplankton community composition over the sevenyearperiod. Using multivariate statistics and a clustering analysis, five distinctphytoplankton assemblages were identified. Major shifts in community composition wereidentified in 1) the fall of 1991, 2) 1992-1993, and 3) the summer of 1994. A dynamicecosystem model coupled to a zebra mussel bioenergetics model was used to analyze theforces driving these changes. After successfully calibrating the model to 1991 conditions,test scenarios were run to identify important zebra mussel mediated alterations to thephytoplankton community of inner Saginaw Bay. In addition to the direct filtration ofphytoplankton, clearing of the water column and recycle of phosphorus were identified ascausal mechanisms in the observed changes in the phytoplankton communitycomposition. This study suggests that both direct (filtration) and indirect (nutrientcycling) mechanisms are important in understanding the long-term changes in thephytoplankton of Saginaw Bay induced by zebra mussels. This work describing thechanges in an aquatic ecosystem resulting from the introduction of an invasive species isimportant for both ecosystem management and advancing the basic understanding ofecosystem response to disturbance.