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Comparing the Effects of Aquatic Stressors on Model Temperate Freshwater Aquatic Communities

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Abstract

Identifying the relative importance of stressors is critical for effectively managing and conserving freshwater aquatic ecosystems. However, variability in natural ecosystems and the potential for multiple stressors make understanding the effects of stressors challenging in the field. To address these challenges, we assessed four common stressors in the northeastern USA including acidification (pH), climate change (water temperature), salinization (Na and Cl), and nutrient addition using laboratory mesocosms. Each stressor was evaluated independently, with ten mesocosms assigned across a gradient of concentrations for each stressor (total N = 40). We then monitored the effects of the stressors on a model community consisting of periphyton, zooplankton, Northern watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibericum), American ribbed fluke snail (Pseudosuccinea columella), and larval American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus). Aquatic stressors varied in the strength of their effects on community structure: Nutrient addition was the least influential stressor, with no significant effects. Acidification influenced periphyton biomass, but not higher trophic levels. Water temperature influenced primary productivity and survival of amphibian larvae, but not intermediate trophic levels. Finally, road salt led to decreases in productivity for all trophic levels included in our model systems. Our results support the findings of prior research, although the effects of acidification and nutrient addition were less pronounced in our study. Importantly, we found that road salt had the most far-reaching effects on a model aquatic community. Given that road salt is the most easily managed of the stressors we compared, our results indicate that improving the condition of freshwater aquatic ecosystems in the northeastern USA may be a feasible objective.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Jorie Favreau for her support of this research as well as all of the Paul Smith’s College students who helped with establishing our experiments. Funding support for undergraduate students was provided by a National Science Foundation S-STEM grant #1154455. Laboratory instrumentation was supported by a National Science Foundation major equipment grant #0722927.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Resource Management and Ecology, Paul Smith’s College, Routes 86 & 30, Paul Smiths, Franklin County, NY, 12970, USA

    Sabrina A. Dalinsky, Lewis M. Lolya, Jennifer L. Maguder & Joshua L. B. Pierce

  2. Adirondack Watershed Institute, Paul Smith’s College, Routes 86 & 30, Paul Smiths, Franklin County, NY, 12970, USA

    Daniel L. Kelting & Corey L. Laxson

  3. Center for Adirondack Biodiversity, Paul Smith’s College, Routes 86 & 30, Paul Smiths, Franklin County, NY, 12970, USA

    David A. Patrick

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  1. Sabrina A. Dalinsky
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  2. Lewis M. Lolya
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  3. Jennifer L. Maguder
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  4. Joshua L. B. Pierce
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  5. Daniel L. Kelting
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  6. Corey L. Laxson
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  7. David A. Patrick
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Correspondence to David A. Patrick.

Appendices

Appendices

Table 6 Water quality data collected by the Adirondack Watershed Institute from 176 water bodies in the Adirondack region of upstate NY, USA, from 2003 to 2013
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Table 7 Initial concentrations (ppb) of macro- and micronutrients in nutrient addition treatment mesocosms manipulated via addition of Hoagland’s solution. Treatment levels (replicates) were designed to encompass and expand beyond levels of macronutrients found in lacustrine wetlands in the focal region from low (replicate 1) to high (replicate 10) concentrations. The base concentration of initial nutrients used as a standard across the three additional stressors we evaluated (acidification, road salt, and climate change) is shown by level 1
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Dalinsky, S.A., Lolya, L.M., Maguder, J.L. et al. Comparing the Effects of Aquatic Stressors on Model Temperate Freshwater Aquatic Communities. Water Air Soil Pollut 225, 2007 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-2007-9

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