Response of Headwater Lakes to Varying Atmospheric Deposition in North-Central Ontario, 1979–85

1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (11) ◽  
pp. 1905-1911 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. M. Kelso ◽  
D. S. Jeffries

Between 1976 and 1985, loadings of SO42− to the Algoma district (north-central Ontario) varied from a low of 47 (1980) to a high of 84 meq∙m−2 (1978) and was low in years of low annual precipitation. The mean and median lake concentrations of H+ and SO42− in 54 lakes declined between 1979 and 1982 following the period of lowest annual deposition and declined further between 1982 and 1985. Overall, mean lake pH increased 0.35 unit between 1979 and 1982 and an additional 0.07 unit over the next 3 yr. Lake concentrations in the Turkey Lakes watershed exhibited a similar trend. Two lakes without fish in 1979 and with pH's < 5.5 developed white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) populations by 1986 with ages indicating that survival began after 1980. This apparent invasion from downstream populations probably occurred when lake pH's neared 5.5. Although a direct link has not been established, these lakes appear to be extremely responsive to changes in atmospheric deposition. The "recovery" of water quality clearly extends beyond that locally documented at Sudbury, Ontario, yet it remains to be determined to what degree the responses relate to differences in continental deposition and/or responses within the watershed.

1982 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1289-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant A. Fraser ◽  
Harold H. Harvey

Bone was decalcified in fish from three acid lakes and manganese was increased greatly in bone of fish from the most acid lake. The mean centrum calcium content of white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) captured in George Lake (pH 4.65) was 16% lower than in white suckers from three lakes with near-neutral pH levels. In two other acid lakes, King (pH 5.08) and Crosson (pH 5.36), centrum calcium was reduced significantly in white suckers. Centrum manganese was elevated fivefold in white sucker from recently acidified George Lake, and tended to be elevated in this species from King Lake. White suckers from George Lake exhibited shorter caudal vertebrae and some of these fish had deformed caudal fins. These anomalies may be indicative of bone demineralization. All of the study lakes were located in south-central Ontario, including the La Cloche Mountains, North Bay, Algonquin, Haliburton, and Muskoka.Key words: lake acidification, bone composition, calcium, manganese, white sucker


2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 2706-2715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bertolo ◽  
Pierre Magnan

We used data from a survey of 36 headwater lakes of the Canadian Shield to investigate the relationship between piscivory and growth, abundance, and longevity of white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens). The occurrence of northern pike (Esox lucius) and walleye (Sander vitreus) explained variations in the abundance of both white sucker and yellow perch, suggesting strong predation-induced mortality. The longevity of both species tended to be negatively related to increased piscivory. White sucker grew better and had a better condition in lakes with piscivores. Yellow perch showed only small among-lake differences in growth and condition. The superior competitive ability of white sucker over yellow perch could explain why yellow perch did not show improved growth or longevity where population densities were low in lakes with piscivores and white sucker. Furthermore, yellow perch growth was inversely related to the biomass of piscivorous fish in their first year of life. Stomach content data suggest that small yellow perch, which rely on zooplankton, might restrict their use of pelagic resources to reduce their predation risk by piscivores, thus reducing their growth. Our results show that the effects of piscivores can be species-specific and dependent on community structure.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 7745-7778
Author(s):  
P. Sundarambal ◽  
R. Balasubramanian ◽  
P. Tkalich ◽  
J. He

Abstract. Atmospheric nutrients have recently gained attention as a significant additional source of new nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loading to the ocean. The effect of atmospheric N on marine productivity depends on the biological availability of both inorganic and organic N and P forms. During October 2006, the regional smoke haze episode in Southeast Asia (SEA) that resulted from uncontrolled forest fires in Sumatra and Borneo blanketed large tracts of the region. In this work, we determined the composition of nutrients in aerosols and rainwater during haze and non-haze periods to assess their impacts on aquatic ecosystem in SEA for the first time. We compared atmospheric dry and wet deposition of N and P species in aerosol and rainwater in Singapore between haze and non haze periods. Air mass back trajectories showed that large-scale forest and peat fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan were a significant source of atmospheric nutrients to aquatic environments in Singapore and SEA region on hazy days. It was observed that the average concentrations of nutrients increased approximately by a factor of 3 to 8 on hazy days when compared with non-hazy days. The mean dry atmospheric fluxes (g/m2/year) of TN and TP observed during hazy and non-hazy days were 4.77±0.775 and 0.3±0.082, and 0.91±0.471 and 0.046±0.01, respectively. The mean wet deposition fluxes (g/m2/year) of TN and TP were 12.2±3.53 and 0.726±0.074, and 2.71±0.989 and 0.144±0.06 for hazy and non-hazy days, respectively. The occurrences of higher concentrations of nutrients from atmospheric deposition during smoke haze episodes may have adverse consequences on receiving aquatic ecosystems with cascading impacts on water quality.


1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 2240-2247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janick D Lalonde ◽  
François Chapleau ◽  
Anik Brind'Amour ◽  
Lara Louise Ridgway

We examined the effect of a dam on concentrations of metals (Mn, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Hg) in white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) and in northern pike (Esox lucius). Fish were caught upstream and downstream of the Moses-Saunders Power dam on the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario, and Massena, New York. Upstream of the dam, Lake St. Lawrence is a 136-km2 reservoir resulting from the flooding of 90 km2 of agricultural land in 1958, and downstream is Lake St. Francis. In northern pike, no difference in the mean concentrations of metals was found between upstream and downstream fish. Hg concentrations increased with length in upstream and downstream pike, whereas Zn showed an inverse relationship with length downstream. For a particular length, Hg concentration was higher in downstream northern pike. On average, white sucker were five times more contaminated by Hg upstream than downstream. The levels of Mn and Cu were also found to be higher upstream. No bioaccumulation of metals was observed in white sucker. Based on the results obtained for the northern pike, after 37 years, it seems that the high metal concentrations observed in Lake St. Lawrence after the creation of the reservoir have now disappeared. We believe that the high level of contamination of the white suckers in this lake is linked with this species' habit of being in constant contact with the sediments, which could be locally highly contaminated.


1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen C. Rice ◽  
Margaret M. Kennedy ◽  
Christiana A. Carter ◽  
Robert T. Anderson ◽  
Owen P. Bricker

2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne L. Parrott ◽  
L. Mark Hewitt ◽  
Tibor G. Kovacs ◽  
Deborah L. MacLatchy ◽  
Pierre H. Martel ◽  
...  

Abstract To evaluate currently available bioassays for their use in investigating the causes of pulp and paper mill effluent effects on fish reproduction, the responses of wild white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) collected from the receiving environment at the bleached kraft mill at La Tuque, Quebec, were compared with responses of fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) exposed to effluent in a laboratory lifecycle test. White sucker collected at effluent exposed sites had increased liver size but none of the reproductive effects that had been documented in earlier field studies at this site. Exposure to 1, 3, 10, 30, and 100% bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME) in the lab led to significantly decreased length, but increased weight and liver size in male fathead minnow. Female length was also decreased and liver size was increased at high effluent exposures. Most effluent concentrations (1 to 30%) significantly increased egg production compared with controls. The fathead minnow lifecycle assay mirrored the effects seen in wild fish captured downstream of the BKME discharge. These results will be used to select short-term fish tests for investigating the causes of and solutions to the effects of mill effluents on fish reproduction.


1987 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-364
Author(s):  
R. Peterson ◽  
S. Ray

Abstract Brook trout and yellow perch collected while surveying New Brunswick and Nova Scotia headwater lakes were analyzed for DDT metabolites, chlordane, hexacyclohexane isomers, hexachlorobenzene, toxaphene and PCB’s. Concentrations of DDT metabolites were much higher from fish taken from lakes in north-central N.B. (200-700 ng/g wet wt) than from fish taken elsewhere (&lt;10 ng/g). Seventy to 90% of the DDT metabolites was DDE. Chlordane (3-13 ng/g) was analyzed in seven trout, six of them from central N.B. areas with intensive agriculture. Isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane were in highest concentration from north-central N.B. (10-20 ng/g), eastern N.S. (5-15 ng/g) and southern N.B. (5-20 ng/g). In most cases, alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane) was the isomer in highest concentration. Concentrations of hexachlorobenzene in fish tissues was highly variable with no obvious geographic bias. PCB’s were detected in very few fish, and no toxaphene was detected.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. McDowell ◽  
Z. P. Simpson ◽  
A. G. Ausseil ◽  
Z. Etheridge ◽  
R. Law

AbstractUnderstanding the lag time between land management and impacts on riverine nitrate–nitrogen (N) loads is critical to understand when action to mitigate nitrate–N leaching losses from the soil profile may start improving water quality. These lags occur due to leaching of nitrate–N through the subsurface (soil and groundwater). Actions to mitigate nitrate–N losses have been mandated in New Zealand policy to start showing improvements in water quality within five years. We estimated annual rates of nitrate–N leaching and annual nitrate–N loads for 77 river catchments from 1990 to 2018. Lag times between these losses and riverine loads were determined for 34 catchments but could not be determined in other catchments because they exhibited little change in nitrate–N leaching losses or loads. Lag times varied from 1 to 12 years according to factors like catchment size (Strahler stream order and altitude) and slope. For eight catchments where additional isotope and modelling data were available, the mean transit time for surface water at baseflow to pass through the catchment was on average 2.1 years less than, and never greater than, the mean lag time for nitrate–N, inferring our lag time estimates were robust. The median lag time for nitrate–N across the 34 catchments was 4.5 years, meaning that nearly half of these catchments wouldn’t exhibit decreases in nitrate–N because of practice change within the five years outlined in policy.


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