Abstract
Water quality and mollusc communities have been declining in Lake Winnipeg., the tenth largest freshwater lake in the world. Ninety sites were surveyed in the southern half of the lake. Nitrate and total dissolved solids were found to be significantly higher on the west side, while cadmium, copper and lead were higher on the east side. Agriculture, urban effluent, and recreational development were major factors directly affecting nearshore water quality. Human impacts were sporadically aggravated by Red River floodwaters entering the lake. A total of 26 gastropod were currently found in the lake, but 16 of them were found at 5 or fewer sites. Only 6 unionid species were found, compared to at least 11 historical species records. Species richness of both gastropods and unionids was positively correlated with total dissolved solids, and inversely with lead. Gastropod and unionid species richness were also mutually positively correlated. Catchment basin and shoreline management policies affecting Lake Winnipeg need to be reexamined to reduce further habitat decline.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
APHA 1995. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. American Public Health Association, Washington DC.
Bannatyne B.B. and Teller J.T. 1984. Geology of Manitoba before the Ice Age. In: Teller J.T. (ed.), Natural Heritage of Manitoba. Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, pp. 7–21.
Bogan A.E. 1993. Freshwater bivalve extinctions (Mollusca: Unionoidae): a search for causes. Am. Zool. 33: 599–609.
Bourne A., Armstrong N. and Jones G. 2002. A preliminary Estimate of Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus Loading to Streams in Manitoba, Canada. Manitoba Conservation Report No. 2002-04. Manitoba, Winnipeg.
Clarke A.H. 1973. The freshwater molluscs of the Canadian Interior Basin. Malacologia 13: 1–509.
Clausen J.C. and Meals D.W. 1989. Water quality achievable with agricultural best management practices. J. Soil Water Conserv. 44: 593–596.
CWQG 1987. Canadian Water Quality Guidelines. Canadian Council of Resource and Environment Ministers. Environment Canada, Ottawa.
Fromming E. 1956. Biologie der Mitteleuropaischen Susswasserschnecken. Dunker and Humbolt, Berlin.
Fuller S.L.H. 1974. Clams and mussels. In: Hart C.W. Jr. and Fuller S.L.H. (eds), Pollution Ecology of Freshwater Invertebrates. Academic Press, New York, pp. 215–273.
Genito D., Gburek W.J. and Sharpley A.N. 2002. Response of stream macroinvertebrates to agricultural land cover in a small watershed. J. Freshwater Ecol. 17: 109–115.
Grimm F.W. 1975. A Preliminary Survey of the Molluscan Fauna of Nine Lakes in Gatineau Park, Quebec. Can. Field-Nat. 89: 383–388.
Hall R.I., Leavitt P.R., Quinlan R., Dixit S. and Smol J.P. 1999. Effects of agriculture, urbanization, and climate on water quality in the northern Great Plains. Limnol. Oceanogr. 44: 739–756.
Havlik M. and Marking L.L. 1987. Effects of contaminants on naiad mollusks (Unionidae): a review. U.S. Fish Wildlife Ser., Res. Public. 164: 1–20.
Huttunen P., Holopainen A.-L. and Ahtiainen M. 1990. The Effects of Forest Clear-cutting and Soil Preparation for Forestry on Water Chemistry and Biology of Small Brooks. Joensuun Yliopisto, Karajan tutkimuslaitoksen julkaisuja No. 91/1990.
IJC 2000. Living with the Red. International Joint Commission, Ottawa.
Jones G. and Armstrong N. 2001. Long-term Trends in Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus Concentrations in Manitoba Streams. Manitoba Conservation Report No. 2001-07. Manitoba, Winnipeg.
Kling H.J., Stainton M.P., McCullough G.K., Salki A.G., Hendzel L.L. and Herbert C.R. 2002. Changing Phytoplankton in Lake Winnipeg: A Result of Eutrophication/Impoundment, Climate Change or Exotic Species. Abstracts from the 45th Conference on Great Lake Research, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 66 pp.
Lodge D.M., Brown K.M., Klosiewski S.P., Stein R.A., Covich A.P., Leathers B.K. and Bronmark C. 1987. Distribution of freshwater snails: spatial scale and the relative importance of physicochemical and biotic factors. Am. Malacol. Bull. 5: 73–84.
Mallin M.A. 2000. Impacts of industrial animal production on rivers and estuaries. Am. Sci. 88: 26–37.
Mallin M.A., Burkholder J.M., MicIver G.C., Shank H.B., Glasgow H.B.Jr., Touchette B.W. and Springer J. 1997. Comparative effects of poultry and swine waste lagoon spills on the quality of Receiving streamwaters. J. Environ. Qual. 26: 1622–1631.
Mann C.K., Vickers T.J. and Gullick W.M. 1974. Instrumental Analysis. Harper & Row, New York.
MH no date. Lake Winnipeg Erosion and Water Levels. Manitoba Hydro Public Affairs Publication. Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Palmer S. 1986. Some extinct Mollusca of the USA. Atala 13: 1–7.
Pip E. 1986. A study of pond colonization by freshwater molluscs. J. Mollus. Stud. 52: 214–224.
Pip E. 1987. Species richness of freshwater gastropod communities in central North America. J. Mollus. Stud. 53: 163–170.
Pip E. 1988. Niche congruency of freshwater gastropods in central North America with respect to six water chemistry parameters. Nautilus 102: 65–72.
Pip E. 1995. Cadmium, lead and copper in freshwater mussels from the Assiniboine River, Manitoba, Canada. J. Mollus. Stud. 6: 295–302.
Pip E. 2000. The decline of freshwater molluscs in southern Manitoba. Can. Field-Nat. 114: 555–560.
Pip E. 2002. COSEWIC Status Report on the Lake Winnipeg Physa, Physa sp. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa.
Pip E. 2004. A new species of Physella (Gastropoda: Basommatophora) in Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Visaya 2: 42–48.
Pip E. 2005. Surface water quality in Manitoba with respect to six chemical parameters, water body and sediment type and land use. Aqua. Ecosyst. Health Manage. 8: 1–13.
Pip E. and Stewart J.M. 1976. The dynamics of two aquatic plant-snail associations. Can. J. Zool. 54: 1192–1205.
Reavell P.E. 1980. A study of the diets of some British freshwater gastropods. J. Conchol. 30: 253–271.
Schloesser D.W., Nalepa T.F. and Mackie G.W. 1996. Zebra mussel infestation of unionid bivalves in North America. Am. Zool. 36: 300–310.
Sokal R.R. and Rohlf F.J. 1981. Biometry. W.H. Freeman and Co, New York.
Soranno P.A., Hubler S.L., Carpenter S.R. and Lathrop R.C. 1996. Phosphorus loads to surface waters: a simple model to account for spatial pattern of land use. Ecol. Appl. 6: 865–878.
Stainton M.P., McCullough G.K. and Brunskill G.J. 2002. Changes in the source and fate of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous in a large turbid lake/reservoir, Lake Winnipeg. Abstracts from the 45th Conference on Great Lakes Research, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 113 pp.
Starrett W.C. 1971. A survey of the mussels (Unionacea) of the Illinois River: a polluted stream. Illinois Nat. History Survey Bull. 30: 267–403.
Strayer D.L. and Fetterman A.R. 1999. Changes in the distribution of freshwater mussels (Unionidae) in the Upper Susquehanna River basin, 1955–1965 to 1996–1997. Am. Midl. Nat. 142: 328–339.
Williams J.D., Warren M.L.Jr., Cummings K.S., Harris J.L. and Neves R.J. 1992. Conservation status of freshwater mussels of the United States and Canada. Fisheries 18: 6–22.
Wong M.H. 1985. Heavy metal contamination of soils and crops from auto traffic, sewage sludge, pig manure, and chemical fertilizer. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 13: 139–149.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pip, E. (2006). Littoral mollusc communities and water quality in southern Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In: Hawksworth, D.L., Bull, A.T. (eds) Marine, Freshwater, and Wetlands Biodiversity Conservation. Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5734-2_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5734-2_18
Received:
Accepted:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5733-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5734-2
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)