Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4377404 | Ecological Modelling | 2010 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
The perennially ice-covered, closed basin lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys respond rapidly to environmental changes, especially climate. For the past 15 years, the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research (MCM-LTER) program has monitored the physical, chemical and biological properties of the lakes in Taylor Valley. In order to better assess the physiochemical controls on the biological process within one of these lakes (Lake Hoare), we have used vertical profile data to estimate depth-dependent correlations between various lake properties. Our analyses reveal the following results. Primary production rates (PPR) are strongly correlated to light (PAR) at 12-15Â m and to soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) at 8-22Â m. Chlorophyll-a (CHL) is also positively correlated to PAR at 14Â m and greater depths, and SRP from 15Â m and greater. This preliminary statistical analysis supports previous observations that both PAR and SRP play significant roles in driving plant growth in Lake Hoare. The lack of a strong relationship between bacterial production (BP) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an intriguing result of the analysis.
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Authors
Radu Herbei, W. Berry Lyons, Johanna Laybourn-Parry, Christopher Gardner, John C. Priscu, Diane M. McKnight,