River Ecology
River Ecology
The River Ecology program focuses their research on; providing information on the overall structure and function of aquatic ecosystems; providing specific information on available resources; and evaluating various management, consveration, and restoration practices, to determine how such practices affect aquatic ecosystems.
Filter Total Items: 12
Nutrient Cycling in Aquatic Ecosystems
Nitrogen and phosphorus are plant essential nutrients that are currently in excess in many aquatic ecosystems due to runoff from urban and agricultural areas. In high amounts, these nutrients are detrimental to aquatic ecosystem health, because elevated nutrients promote excessive growth or “blooms” of algae and other nuisance species. Many species that cause blooms can produce toxins which are...
Nutrient cycling in agricultural watersheds of the Great Lakes
Nutrients lost from agricultural areas in watersheds of the Great Lakes cause harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in some areas of the Great Lakes. Substantial efforts are being made in these watersheds to reduce the amount of nutrients entering the streams and rivers; however, additional work is needed to further reduce nutrient loads to meet international water quality standards. Limited research...
Nutrient retention on the Upper Mississippi River Floodplain
Rivers have a natural capacity to improve water quality when they are connected to their natural floodplains and are not overloaded with sediment and nutrient runoff. Where rivers have been disconnected from their historical floodplains and channelized to eliminate backwater areas, increased flow and nutrient loads have contributed to local and downstream problems of excessive nutrient enrichment...
Hydroacoustic mapping of habitat for threatened and endangered native mussels in the Upper Mississippi River
Understanding the distribution of threatened and endangered freshwater mussels is needed to conserve and restore populations. Sampling for native freshwater mussels typically involves taking quadrat samples in soft substrates and counting the number of mussels in a defined area. However, this methodology is unsuitable for detecting populations of the Spectaclecase mussel ( Margaritifera monodonta...
Spatial Patterns of Native Freshwater Mussels in the Upper Mississippi River
Impact of UMESC Science This research aims to quantify spatial patterns of adult and juvenile (≤5 y of age) freshwater mussels across multiple scales based on systematic survey data from 4 reaches of the Upper Mississippi River (Navigation Pools 3, 5, 6, and 18). Resource managers can use this critical information about spatial structure to make informed river management decisions.
Distribution and Controls Over Habitat and Food Web Structures and Processes in Great Lakes Estuaries
Rivermouth ecosystems, or freshwater estuaries, are the focus of human and wildlife interactions with the Great Lakes. They are highly valued as the region’s urban, industrial, shipping and recreational centers; and home to recreational harbors, wildlife viewing and production, beaches and urban riverfronts. Rivermouths are also both the mixing zones where nutrients from upstream watersheds are...
River Productivity
Biological production represents the total amount of living material (biomass) that was produced during a defined period of time. This production is important because some of it is used for food and some is valued for recreation, it is a direct measure of total ecosystem processes, and it sustains biological diversity. Production is a measure of energy flow, and is therefore a natural currency for...
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Comprehensive Conservation Plan
The Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has been entrusted to manage our nation’s critical wetland resources. Due to conversion in industrial, residential, and agricultural uses, these wetlands have been disappearing at an alarming rate over the last one-hundred years. In order to better care for these resources, all of the refuges are developing long-term Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCP).
Movement Patterns of Native Mussels in the Upper Mississippi River: Response to Water Level Management
Impact of UMESC Science This research aims to estimate the fraction of mussels that are able to avoid short-term mortality during a water level drawdown by burrowing or moving horizontally into deeper water. Resource managers can use this critical information about mussel behavior and survival to make informed river management decisions.
Population Assessment and Potential Functional Roles of Native Mussels in the Upper Mississippi River
Impact of UMESC Science The results of this study suggest that native mussels play an integral role in this ecosystem by sequestering large volumes of suspended materials that can be used by other benthic organisms. Managers now have critical data on population size, distribution, and relative health—these data are being used to guide habitat restoration activities to benefit native mussel...
Comparison of Native Mussel Assemblages Among Three Reaches of the Upper Mississippi River
In the past century about 20 mussel species have become extinct from the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) basin, and at least 28 species are state or federally listed. The species composition appears to have changed considerably from pre-European settlement times toward communities dominated by mussels that are tolerant of pollution and can utilize many different types of habitats. River managers...
Modeling the Response of Imperiled Freshwater Mussels to Anthropogenically Induced Changes in Water Temperature, Habitat, and Flow in Streams of the Southeastern and Central United States
Freshwater mussels are in serious global decline and urgently need protection and conservation. Declines in the abundance and diversity of North American mussels have been attributed to a wide array of human activities that cause pollution, water-quality degradation, and habitat destruction. Recent findings suggest that many mussel species are already living close to their upper thermal tolerances...