Limnology of 46 lakes and ponds on Banks Island, N.W.T., Canadian Arctic Archipelago

The goal of this study was to describe and quantify the physical and chemical limnological properties of 46 lakes and ponds on Banks Island, to explore the effects of ecoclimatic differences on the water chemistry of these study sites, and to establish baseline conditions for this previously unexplored limnological region, which could then be used in subsequent long-term environmental monitoring programs. A key finding was that the study sites on Banks Island represented a large nutrient concentration gradient from ultra-oligotrophic to hypereutrophic waters. In general, the study sites were relatively nutrient rich by Arctic standards (i.e. mean total nitrogen (TN_mean)=504.2μg/l and mean total phosphorus (TPU_mean)=18.0μg/l); concentrations that are amongst the highest of any previous limnological survey from similar latitudes. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were also some of the highest reported to date amongst all other Canadian Arctic island limnological surveys. These values reflect the milder climate, concentrated animal life and lushness of Banks Island, as compared to other Canadian Arctic Archipelago islands. Principal components analysis (PCA) separated sites along a conductivity/ionic and elevation gradient on Axis 1 (λ₁=0.343), and a metal (Fe, Zn, Al) and alkalinity-related (DIC, pH) gradient on the second axis (λ₂=0.187). Canonical variate analysis (CVA) was used to explore the classification of the study sites into Low Arctic, Mid Arctic or High Arctic designations based on their limnological characteristics.     

Physical and chemical limnology of 204 lakes from the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

The physical and chemical limnology of 204 lakes from across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago was examined. Mean summer air temperature did not correlate well with lake chlorophyll levels due to the predominance of ultra-oligotrophic hard-water lakes located in a polar climate. Local geology influences ion budgets and is an important factor in determining pelagic phosphorus availability, carbon cycling and metal concentrations. Ratios of particulate carbon, particulate nitrogen and chlorophyll a indicate that planktonic microorganisms are not always the major producers of organic carbon in arctic lakes. Allochthonous particulate matter contributes significantly to the carbon and phosphorus budgets of small and mid-sized lakes across the Arctic, although the availability of these elements is controlled by many interacting geochemical and biological factors. Phosphorus is generally limiting, however, increases in available phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon are all required to make significant long-term differences in lake productivity. Particulate phosphorus levels can be high in lakes where phosphorus-rich shales or carbonatite bedrock are present. These phosphorus-enriched lakes are found in several areas across the mid-arctic islands, however, only small amounts of this nutrient are available as soluble reactive phosphorus. Although lakes throughout the Arctic are typically ultra-oligotrophic, they still represent an important sink for allochthonous nutrient deposition.     

Physical and chemical limnology of northern boreal lakes, Wood Buffalo National Park, northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories, Canada

Physical and chemical variables were measured in 35 lakes from Wood Buffalo National Park, northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Of these lakes, 22 were sinkholes, situated on limestone and gypsum, five were situated on the Canadian Shield and eight were shallow 'muskeg' lakes located on calcareous shales. All of the lakes were small to moderate in size. For each of the 35 lakes, 37 environmental variables were measured. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that underlying geology strongly influenced limnic properties. Shield lakes were characterized by higher concentrations of A1 and Fe, and lower pH values, specific conductivities and concentrations of ions such as, Ca, SO4, Li, Mg and Na, than either the sinkhole or the muskeg lakes. The muskeg lakes were differentiated from the sinkhole lakes by decreased Secchi depth owing to higher concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and greater productivity, as evidenced by high concentrations of particulate organic carbon (POC) and chlorophyll a. Nitrogen (NH3 and NO2) was also notably higher at these sites. The 22 sinkhole lakes were further classified by the type of surrounding vegetation. Six vegetation groups were recognized: (1) spruce; (2) pine; (3) mixed; (4) shrubs/poplar; (5) recently burned and (6) rocky. These vegetation groups largely reflect fire history, but also differences in soils and drainage. Unlike geology, surrounding vegetation, and therefore recent fire history, generally had little influence on limnic properties. PCA showed that of the six vegetation groups, only the spruce lake group, which was characterized by high levels of DIC, was distinct. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Limnological Characteristics of 38 Lakes and Pondson Axel Heiberg Island,High Arctic Canada

The limnological characteristics of 38 lakes and ponds on Axel Heiberg Island were determined, in part, to establish baseline data for future monitoring programs, and to provide the foundation for future paleoenvironmental work in this climatically‐sensitive region. In general, these sites were slightly alkaline, oligotrophic to ultra‐oligotrophic (mean total unfiltered phosphorus = 4.1 μg/L), and phosphorus‐limited. Principal components analyses separated lakes along a primary gradient of ionic concentration, and along a secondary gradient of POC, DOC and nutrient concentrations. Some interesting aspects of this limnological survey included very acidic sites (pH < 4), and the minimal effects of large altitudinal and latitudinal gradients on the limnological characteristics of our sites.     

Diatoms and their relationship to environmental variables from lakes and ponds on Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic

Baseline and historical environmental data are sparse in the High Arctic, however diatom assemblages preserved in high arctic lake and pond sediment profiles can provide proxy data of past environmental changes. Ecological data, however, are still sparse. Diatom taxa preserved in the surficial sediment of lakes and ponds on Bathurst Island (75° 42 N, 97° 21 W), Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic, and their relationship to 34 environmental variables were examined using multivariate statistics. A total of 148 diatom taxa were identified from the surface sediments of 29 study sites. Five environmental variables, Fe³⁺, Total Phosphorus (Unfiltered) (TPU), Total Nitrogen (TN), Temperature (TEMP) and pH significantly (P0.05) accounted for most of the variation in the diatom assemblages. TN was also significantly correlated to other variables (e.g. TPF, DOC, POC). A CCA constrained to TN indicated that this variable best explained the species distributions, and a weighted-averaging (WA) model was developed to infer nutrient levels from the relative abundances of the 58 dominant taxa. Interestingly, previous limnological work indicated that nitrogen most likely limited algal production in some of these high arctic sites. This model may be used to quantitatively estimate past TN levels from diatom assemblages preserved in sediment cores from Bathurst Island, and may provide a means to track past environmental changes in the High Arctic.     

Winter limnology: a comparison of physical,chemical and biological characteristics in two temperate lakes during ice cover

The winter dynamics of several chemical, physical, and biological variables of a shallow, polymictic lake (Opinicon) are compared to those of a deep, nearby dimictic lake (Upper Rock) during ice cover (January to early April) in 1990 and 1991. Both lakes were weakly inversely thermally stratified. Dissolved oxygen concentration was at saturation (11–15 mg l⁻¹) in the top 3 m layer, but declined to near anoxic levels near the sediments. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the deep lake were at saturation in most of the water column and approached anoxic levels near the sediments only. Nutrient concentrations in both lakes were fairly high, and similar in both lakes during ice cover. Total phosphorus concentrations generally ranged between 10–20 μg l⁻¹, NH₄-N between 16–100 μg l⁻¹, and DSi between 0.9–1.9 mg l⁻¹; these concentrations fell within summer ranges. NO₃-N concentrations were between 51–135 μg l⁻¹ during ice cover, but occurred at trace concentrations (<0.002 μg l⁻¹) during the summer. The winter phytoplankton community of both lakes was dominated by flagellates (cryptophytes, chrysophytes) and occasionally diatoms. Dinoflagellates, Cyanobacteria and green algae were poorly represented. Cryptophytes often occurred in fairly high proportions (20–80%) throughout the water column, whereas chrysophytes were more abundant just beneath the ice. Zooplankton population densities were extremely low during ice cover (compared to maximum densities measured in spring or summer) in both lakes, and were comprised largely of copepods.     

Physical and Chemical Limnological Characteristics of 38 Lakes and Ponds on Bathurst Island,Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic

The limnological features that characterize the shallow ponds (<2 m deep) and lakes (>2 m deep) on Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canada were examined through chemical analyses and multivariate statistical methods as part of a larger on‐going survey to document and monitor environmental changes in these remote and sensitive areas. All sites were relatively oligotrophic and alkaline. Nutrient ratios indicated that nitrogen could be limiting algal growth to a greater degree than phosphorus in over 63% of the sites. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to explore the patterns of variation in the limnological dataset. The three dominant limnological gradients were: major ion content and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels along Axis 1; and pH along Axis 2.     

The Physical and Chemical Limnology of 24 Ponds and One Lake from Isachsen,Ellef Ringnes Island,Canadian High Arctic

The limnology of freshwaters surrounding Isachsen, Ellef Ringnes Island, Nunavut was examined to determine the baseline physical and chemical limnological conditions present in the region. Sites were found to be circumneutral to slightly acidic, and were oligotrophic. Concentrations of most measured chemical variables were highly variable, with broad ranges that greatly exceeded those found in previous surveys conducted in the High Arctic. Ratios of nitrogen to phosphorus suggest that nitrogen may be the limiting nutrient for algal growth at the majority of sites. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) indicated that the major controls on water chemistry variability between sites were conductivity and related variables, and nutrients, explaining 36.5% and 26.5% of the variation in the dataset, respec‐tively.     

Eutrophication and recovery in the High Arctic: Meretta Lake (Cornwallis Island,Nunavut, Canada) revisited

Meretta Lake (Resolute Bay, Cornwallis Island, Nunavut, Canada) is a polar lake that has been receiving sewage since 1949 via a series of watercourses and utilidors from the so-called `North Base' of the Canadian Department of Transport. The lake's physical, chemical and biological characteristics were studied between 1968 and 1972 as part of the Char Lake Project, which was a component of the International Biological Programme (IBP). This was the first detailed study of high arctic lake eutrophication. However, since the time of the IBP, use of the North Base has declined markedly. Between 1992 and 1999, we re-sampled Meretta Lake for a suite of limnological variables, and compared our findings to those gathered during IBP. Our data indicate that, although Meretta Lake was still more eutrophic in the 1990s than near-by, undisturbed high arctic lakes, it presently has much lower nutrient concentrations and other trophic state variables than it did during IBP. These concentrations continued to decline in the 1990s, coincident with further decreases in usage of the base. Our most recent data indicate that Meretta Lake nutrient levels are now near `natural' background levels. Furthermore, phytoplankton are characterised by higher abundances of cryptophytes than those recorded in the early 1970s, again indicating less eutrophic conditions. Diatom-based, paleolimnological techniques recorded marked species assemblage shifts coincident with the eutrophication from the North Base. However, similar to the phytoplankton data, species assemblage changes were different from those recorded following eutrophication in more temperate regions, with periphytic diatoms overwhelmingly dominating the assemblages.     

Zooplankton community composition of lakes in the Yukon and Northwest Territories (Canada): relationship to physical and chemical limnology

We analysed associations between zooplankton species composition and local abiotic factors in 30 lakes located along a 900 km south-north transect from Whitehorse (Yukon Territory) to Inuvik (Northwest Territories). The lakes were situated in three broadly defined vegetation zones: (i) Boreal forest (between Whitehorse and Dawson City), (ii) alpine tundra (Ogilvie mountains north of Dawson City) and (iii) subarctic forest-tundra (near Inuvik). Lakes in the alpine tundra were characterised by lower conductivity, temperature, chlorophyll a and nutrients than those in the other two zones. Those in the forest-tundra were generally small and shallow, and had higher chlorophyll a concentrations than lakes further south. Lakes in forested catchments spanned a larger latitudinal range and exhibited a greater variety of physical and chemical characteristics. However, they were generally deeper, with higher conductivity, temperature and ionic concentrations. Forty-one zooplankton taxa were identified from the 30 lakes, of which the most frequently occurring were the rotifers Conochilus unicornis, Kellicottia longispina, Keratella cochlearis and Polyarthra vulgaris, the cladocerans Daphnia middendorffiana and Bosmina longirostris, and the copepods Leptodiaptomus pribilofensis, Heterocope septentrionalis and Cyclops spp. The lakes contained between two and fifteen species (mean = 6.9). Alpine tundra lakes contained slightly less species (mean = 5.8) than those at lower elevations; in particular the cladoceran fauna was depauperate or absent. Relationships among the lakes, species and environmental factors were examined using canonical correspondence analysis, with forward selection and associated Monte Carlo permutation tests. Chloride, silica and temperature showed statistically significant relationships with species distribution, and together these abiotic factors explained 25% of the variation in zooplankton communities within Yukon and Northwest Territories lakes.     

Physical and chemical limnology of alpine lakes and pools in the Rwenzori Mountains (Uganda–DR Congo)

This study describes the physical and chemical properties of 17 Afroalpine lakes (>2 m deep) and 11 pools (<2 m deep) in the Rwenzori mountains, Uganda-DR Congo, with the aim to establish the baseline conditions against which to evaluate future environmental and biological changes in these unique tropical ecosystems, and to provide the foundation for lake-based paleoenvironmental studies. Most Rwenzori lakes are located above 3,500 m elevation, and dilute (5–52 μS/cm specific conductance at 25°C) open systems with surface in- and outflow. Multivariate ordination and pairwise correlations between environmental variables mainly differentiate between (1) lakes located near or above 4,000 m (3,890–4,487 m), with at least some direct input of glacial meltwater and surrounded by rocky catchments or alpine vegetation; and (2) lakes located mostly below 4,000 m (2,990–4,054 m), remote from glaciers and surrounded by Ericaceous vegetation and/or bogs. The former group are mildly acidic to neutral clear-water lakes (surface pH: 5.80–7.82; Secchi depth: 120–280 cm) with often above-average dissolved ion concentrations (18–52 μS/cm). These lakes are (ultra-) oligotrophic to mesotrophic (TP: 3.1–12.4 μg/l; Chl-a: 0.3–10.9 μg/l) and phosphorus-limited (mass TN/TP: 22.9–81.4). The latter group are mildly to strongly acidic (pH: 4.30–6.69) waters stained by dissolved organic carbon (DOC: 6.8–13.6 mg/l) and more modest transparency (Secchi-disk depth: 60–132 cm). Ratios of particulate carbon, particulate nitrogen and chlorophyll a in these lakes indicate that organic matter in suspension is primarily derived from the lakes’ catchments rather than aquatic primary productivity. Since key features in the Rwenzori lakes’ abiotic environment are strongly tied to temperature and catchment hydrology, these Afroalpine lake ecosystems can be expected to respond sensitively to climate change and glacier melting. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Thermal summer characteristics of lakes and ponds on Deception Island,Antarctica

During January and February 1981, water temperature measurements were made in lakes and ponds of Deception Island, Antarctica. The depth of these waterbodies varies between 0.88 m and 36 m, with maximum surface areas of over 290 000 m². Some ponds freeze completely during winter, and the lakes are covered by ice for 9–10 months of each year. The maximum ice thickness measured in early summer (December), dit not exceed 0.5 m. Solar radiation and geothermal heating largely determine the thermal structure of these aquatic environments. The water temperature of tributary meltwater streams did not exceed 3 °C, but the littoral waters reached 9 °C. The bottom water temperatures of meromictic lakes 5 (Irízar) and 9, are 12.3 °C and 19.9 °C respectively. These deep waters are heated from geothermal sources and it is possible that some ponds may be also influenced by their proximity to hot soils. With the exception of the meromictic lakes, the aquatic environments studied here did not show a vertical stratification of temperature. It is not possible to establish a general thermal classification for the waterbodies of Deception Island. The interaction of the lacustrine morphology, solar radiation and vulcanism produce contrasting thermal features. Taking into account only the upper layers of meromictic lakes (mixolimnion), and emphasizing the fact of that some ponds freeze completely during winter, the waterbodies of Deception Island would be classified as ‘pleomictics’ (Paschaslki, 1964). This work was supported by an agreement between the Instituto Antártico Argentino and the Instituto Nacional de Limnología (Programa Limnoantar). This work was supported by an agreement between the Instituto Antártico Argentino and the Instituto Nacional de Limnología (Programa Limnoantar).     

Diatom assemblages and their relationships to lakewater nitrogen levels and other limnological variables from 36 lakes and ponds on Banks Island,N.W.T., Canadian Arctic

Banks Island, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, has been identified as an important reference site for studies of environmental change, especially as it relates to climatic warming. The island is logistically manageable (i.e. researchers can survey the entire island in one field season) and, most importantly, spans three major ecoclimatic regions supporting a diverse and large bird and mammal population. Developing upon earlier work by the authors describing the limnology of Banks Island, this current study: (1) examines which physical and chemical limnological variables influence diatom assemblages in this relatively lush island; and (2) explores variations in the diatom assemblages by ecoclimatic zones. The relationship between diatom taxa from a 36 lake/pond surface sediment calibration set and a suite of limnological variables was explored using multivariate statistics. Dominant diatom species varied based on changing limnological characteristics, particularly between the colder, ultra-oligotrophic lakes in the more northern High Arctic regions compared to the warmer, more nitrogen-rich sites in the Low Arctic regions of Banks Island. Exploration of diatom ecoclimatic and environmental preferences revealed interesting relationships, including the development of a diatom-based transfer function that could be used to track overall trends on lakewater nitrogen concentrations, which may enable future paleolimnological studies to track shifts in nutrient levels and climatic, and other environmental changes. Handling editor: J. Padisak     

Evaluating diatom community composition in the absence of marked limnological gradients in the high Arctic: a surface sediment calibration set from Cornwallis Island (Nunavut,Canada)

Fossil diatom assemblages preserved within the sedimentary record in Arctic lakes provide the potential to reconstruct past changes in important limnological variables. During the summers of 1992 and 1993, we examined previously unstudied freshwater ecosystems on Cornwallis Island, Arctic Canada, with the specific objectives of (1) documenting the limnology and modern diatom assemblages from this region, and (2) determining which environmental variables most influence diatom species distributions. The Cornwallis Island study sites displayed the least amount of variance in measured water chemistry variables in comparison to nearly all of our labs’ previous freshwater surveys in the Arctic. The small limnological gradients precluded the development of a statistically robust diatom inference model, but perhaps more importantly, allowed us to explore variations in diatom composition in the absence of marked variations in water chemistry. Diatom species turnover was minimal, with the most common diatom taxa being Achnanthidium minutissima, Nitzschia perminuta, N. frustulum, with lesser percent abundances of Chaemaepinnularia soehrensis, Navicula chiarae, Psammothidium marginulata, and A. kryophila. A small number of study sites differed from the majority with respect to water chemistry (e.g., coastal sites with high specific conductivities) and habitat availability (e.g., ephemeral ponds with extensive moss habitats), and these sites had markedly different diatom assemblages. These data reinforce previous observations that water chemistry and other climate-related factors are the primary environmental controls influencing diatom distributions at high latitudes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Ecological niche specialization inferred from morphological variation and otolith strontium of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus L. found within open lake systems of southern Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada

The presence of two morphotypes of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus was confirmed via morphological variation and otolith strontium (Sr) within three open-lake systems of southern Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada: Qinngu (LH001), Iqalugaarjuit Lake (PG082) and Qasigiat (PG015). Analysis of otolith Sr indicates that a component of each S. alpinus population within lakes LH001 and PG082 is migratory (large–maturing S. alpinus ), whereas another component is lake-resident (small–maturing S. alpinus ). Alternatively, small and large maturing S. alpinus may both inhabit tidal habitats during their lifetime in lake PG015. Three morphological characters were identified by principal factor analysis (PFA) as characters that were different between maturity groups for all lakes studied: eye diameter, pectoral fin length and pelvic fin length. As well, upper jaw length (LH001 and PG082) and fork depth (PG015) were identified in PFA as traits that differed between morphs. Univariate tests of morphological characters identified by PFA demonstrated maturity group differences with the exception of eye diameter in Lake PG015 and upper jaw length and pelvic fin length in lake LH001. No difference was found in the MANOVA test of upper and lower gill raker number between small–maturing and undeveloped fish within all lakes studied. Clear morphological variation observed between small–maturing and undeveloped fish in all three lakes of the study suggests ecological niche separation between morphotypes. This is the first documented case of lake-resident S. alpinus use of the tidal habitat in the presence of a migratory large–maturing morphotype.