Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

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 is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amstrong, F. A. J. & D. W. Schindler, 1971. Preliminary chemical characteristics of waters in the Experimental Lakes Area, northwestern Ontario. J. Fish Res. Bd Can. 28: 171–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bayley, S. E., D. W. Schindler, K. G. Beaty, B. R. Parker & M. P. Stainton, 1992. The effects of multiple fires on nutrient yields from streams draining boreal forest and fen watersheds: nitrogen and phosphorous. Can. J. Fish. aquat Sci. 49: 584–596.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronan, C. S. & G. R. Aiken, 1985. Chemistry and transport of soluble humic substances in forested watersheds of the Adirondack Park, New York. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta 49: 1697–1707.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, P. J. & D. W. Schindler, 1997. Hydrologic control of dissolved organic matter in loworder Precambrian Shield lakes. Biogeochemistry 36: 125–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon, P. J. & L. A. Molot, 1997. Effect of landscape form on the export of dissolved organic carbon, iron and phosphorus from forested stream catchments. Water Resour. Res. 33: 2591–2600.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Drake, J. J., 1970. The geomorphic implications of geo-hydrology of gypsum karst areas. Unpublished MSc thesis, McMaster University, pp. 90.

  • Duthie, H. C., 1979. Limnology of subarctic Canadian lakes and some effects of impoundment. Arctic Alpine Res. 11: 145–158.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duthie, H. C. & M. L. Ostrofsky, 1974. Plankton, chemistry and physics of lakes in the Churchill Falls region of Labrador. J. Fish Res. Bd Can. 31: 1105–1117.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Effler, S. W., G. C. Scafran & C. T. Driscoll, 1985. Partioning light attenuation in an acidic lake. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 42: 1707–1711.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Engstrom, D. R., 1987. Influence of vegetation and hydrology on the humus budgets of Labrador lakes. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 44: 1306–1314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Environment Canada, 1996. Manual of analytical methods. Volume 1: Major ions and nutrients. Volume 2: Trace metals. The National Laboratory of Environmental Testing, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Environment Canada, 1993. Canadian climate normals 1961–90: Yukon and Northwest Territories. Ministry of Supply and Services, Ottawa, 58 pp.

  • Falk, M. R., 1979a. Biological and limnological data on ten lakes surveyed in the Northwest Territories, 1971–1972. Department of Fisheries and the Environment, Fisheries and Marine Service Data Report No. 129, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    Google Scholar 

  • Falk, M. R. 1979b. Biological and limnological data on lakes along the Ingraham Trail, Northwest Territories, 1973–1974. Department of Fisheries and the Environment, Fisheries and Marine Service Data Report No. 125, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, M. S. (Jesse), 1990. A 10 000 yr history of natural ecosystem acidification. Ecol. Monogr. 60: 57–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forsius, M., J. Kämäri, P. Kortelainen, J. Mannio, M. Verta & K. Kinnunen, 1990. Statistical lake survey in Finland: regional estimates of lake acidification. In Kauppi, P, P. Antila & K. Kenjktämies (eds), Acidification in Finland. Springer-Verlag, Berlin: 759–780.

    Google Scholar 

  • Healey, F. P., 1975. Physiological indicators of nutrient deficiency. Fisheries and Marine Service Technical Report 583. Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg.

    Google Scholar 

  • Healey, M. C. & W. L. Woodall, 1973a. Experimental cropping of lakes: II. Physical and chemical features of the lakes. Fisheries Research Board Canada, Technical Report 384, Winnipeg.

  • Healey, M. C. & W. L. Woodall, 1973b. Limnological surveys of seven lakes near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Technical Report 407, Winnipeg.

  • Hutchinson, H. E., 1957. A treatise on limnology, 1: Geography, Physics and Chemistry. John Wiley and Sons, New York: 1015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ilmavirta, V. & P. Huttunen, 1990. Characterization of 151 small lakes in eastern Finland based on their water chemistry, land-use on catchment and phytoplankton communities. Limnologica 20: 229–241.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Juggins, S. & C. J. F. ter Braak, 1992. CALIBRATE - a program for species - environment calibration by (weighted averaging) partial least aquares regression. Environment Change Research Centre, University College London. London, U.K.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirschbaum, M. U. F. & A. Fischlin, 1996. Climate change impacts on forest. In Watson, R. T., M. C. Zinyowera, R. H. Moss & D. Dokken (eds), Climate Change - Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate Change: Scientific Technical Analysis. Contribution of working group II to the second assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 95–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knoechel, R. & C. E. Campbell, 1988. Physical, chemical, watershed and plankton characteristics of lakes on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada: a multivariate analysis of interrelationships. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 23: 282–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, C. P. S., 1997. Spatial and temporal variations in boreal forest fire frequency. J. Biogeogr. 24: 000–011.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lean, D. R. S., F. R. Pick, S. F. Mitchell, M. T. Downes, P. H. Woods & E. White, 1989. Lake Okaro enclosure experiments: test ecosystems to evaluate plankton phosphorus and nitrogen deficiency. Arch. Hydrobiol. Beih. 32: 195–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemmen, D. S., A. Duk-Rodkin & M. J. Bednarski, 1994. Late glacial drainage systems along the northwestern margin of the Laurentide ice sheet. Quat. Sci. Rev. 13: 805–828.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNeely, R. N., V. P. Neimanis & L. Dwyer, 1979. Water quality sourcebook: A guide to water quality parameters. Environment Canada, Inland Waters Directorate, Water Qual. Brach, Ottawa, 88 pp.

  • Moser, K. A., 1996. A limnological and paleolimnological investigation of Wood Buffalo National Park Lakes, northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Unpublished PhD thesis, Dept. of Geography, McMaster University, 353 pp.

  • Nurnberg, G. K. & P. J. Dillon, 1993. Iron budgets in temperate lakes. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 50: 1728–1737.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Otsuki, A. & R. G. Wetzel, 1973. Interaction of yellow organic acids with calcium carbonate in freshwater. Limnol. Oceanogr. 18: 490–493.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pienitz, R., 1993. Paleoclimate proxy data inferred from freshwater diatoms from the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Unpublished PhD thesis, Dept. of Biology, Queen's University, 222 pp.

  • Pienitz, R., J. P. Smol & D. R. S. Lean, 1997a. Physical and chemical limnology of 59 lakes located between the southern Yukon and the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Northwest Territories (Canada). Can J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 54: 330–346.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pienitz, R., J. P. Smol & D. R. S. Lean, 1997b. Physical and chemical limnology of 24 lakes located between Yellowknife and Contwoyto Lake, Northwest Territories (Canada). Can. J. Fish aquat. Sci. 54: 347–358.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen, J. B., L. Godbout & M. Schallenberg, 1989. The humic content of lake water and its relationship to watershed and lake morphometry. Limnol. Oceanogr. 34: 1336–1343.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rawson, D. S. 1960. A limnological comparison of twelve lakes in northern Saskatchewan. Limnol. Oceanogr. 5: 195–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Research Council of Alberta, 1970. Bedrock Geology of Northern Alberta. [1:500 000 map]. Research of Council of Alberta, Edmonton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, T. L. & M. S. Webb, 1971. Water temperature and evaporation regimes and freeze-up characteristics of selected lakes in northern Ontario. Atmosph. Envir. Serv. Climatol. Stud. No. 18.

  • Rouse, W. R., M. S. V. Douglas, R. E. Hecky, A. E. Hershey, G. W. Kling, L. Lesack, P. Marsh, M. McDonald, B. J. Nicholson, N. T. Roulet & J. P. Smol, 1997. Effects of climate change on the freshwaters of Arctic and Subarctic North America. Hydrol. Proc. 11: 873–902.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakamota, M., 1971. Chemical factors involved in the control of phytoplankton production in the Experimental Lakes Area, northwestern Ontario. J. Fish Res. Bd Can. 28: 203–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D. W., 1971. Light, temperature, and oxygen regimes of selected lakes in the Experimental Lakes Area, northwestern Ontario. J. Fish Res. Bd Can. 28: 157–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D.W., 1977. Evolution of phosphorus limitation in lakes: natural mechanisms compensate for deficiencies of nitrogen and carbon in eutrophied lakes. Science 195: 260–262.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D. W., 1988. Experimental studies of chemical stressors on whole lake ecosystems. Edgardo Baldi memorial lectur. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 23: 11–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D. W., S. E. Bayley, P. J. Curtis, B. R. Parker, M. P. Stainton & C. A. Kelly, 1992. Natural and man-cuased factors affecting the abundance and cycling of dissolved organic substances in Precambrian Shield lakes. Hydrobiologia 229: 1–21.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D. W., S. E. Bayley, B. R. Parker, K. G. Beaty, D. R. Cruikshank, E. J. Fee, E. U. Schindler & M. P. Stainton, 1996b. The effects of climate warming on the properties of boreal lakes and streams at the Experimental Lakes Area, northwestern Ontario. Limnol. Oceanogr. 41: 1004–1017.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D. W., K. G. Beaty, E. J. Fee, D. R. Cruikshank, E. R. DeBruyn, D. L. Findley, G. A. Linsey, J. A. Shearer, M. P. Stainton & M. A. Turner, 1990. Effects of climatic warming on lakes of the central boreal forest. Science 250: 967–970.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D. W., G. J. Brunskill, S. Emerson, W. S. Broecker & T. H. Peng, 1972. Atmospheric carbon dioxide: its role in maintaining phytoplankton standing crops. Science 177: 1192–1194.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D.W. & P. J. Curtis, 1997. The role of DOC in protecting freshwaters subjected to climatic warming and acidification from UV exposure. Biogeochemistry 36: 1–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D.W., P. J. Curtis, B. R. Parker & Stainton, M. P., 1996a. Consequences of climate warming and lake acidification for UVB penetration in North American boreal lakes. Nature 379: 705–708.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler, D. W., K. H. Mills, D. F. Malley, D. L. Findley, J. A. Shearer, I. J. Davies, M. A. Turner, G. A. Linsey & D. R. Cruikshank, 1985. Long-term ecosystem stress: the effects of years of experimental acidification on a small lake. Science 228: 1395–1401.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schlesinger, M. E. & J. B. Mitchell, 1987. Climate model simulations of the equilibrium climatic response to increased carbon dioxide. Rev. Geophys 25: 760–798.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scruton, D. A., 1983. A survey of headwater lakes in insular Newfoundland, with specific reference to acid precipitation. Canadian Technical Report for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 1195. Government of Canada Fisheries and Oceans, St. John's.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scruton, D. A., 1984. A survey of selected lakes in Labrador, with an assessment of lake status and sensitivity in relation to acid precipitation. Canadian Technical Report for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 1296. Government of Canada Fisheries and Oceans, St. John's.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scully, N. M. & D. R. S. Lean, 1994. The attenuation of ultraviolet radiation in temperate lakes. Arch. Hydrobiol. Beih. 43: 135–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, F. J., 1985. Geochemistry of soil humic substances. In Aiken, G. R., D. M. McKnight, R. L. Wershaw & P. McCarthy (eds), Humic Substances in Soil, Sediment and Water. J. Wiley, New York: 13–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak, C. J. F., 1990a. CANOCO: a FORTRAN program for canonical community ordination. Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, N.Y.

    Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak, C. J. F., 1990b. CANOCO: a FORTRAN program for canonical community ordination. Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, N.Y.

    Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak, C. J. F., 1995. Ordination. In Jongman, R. H. G., C. J. F. ter Braak & O. F. R. van Tongeren (eds), Data Analysis in Community and Landscape Ecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 91–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsui, P. C., 1982. Deformation, ground subsidence, and slope movements along the Salt River Escarpment inWood Buffalo National Park. Unpublished MSc thesis, Dept. of Geology, University of Alberta, 144 pp.

  • Vincent, W. F. & R. Pienitz, 1996. Sensitivity of high-latitude freshwater ecosystems to global change: temperature and solar ultraviolet radiation. Geosci. Can. 23: 231–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webb, M. S., 1979. Surface temperature characteristics of small lakes in northern Ontario. Fish. Envir. Can. Climatol. Stud. No. 26.

  • Weckström, J., A. Korhola & T. Blom, 1997. The relationship between diatoms and water temperature in thirty subarctic Fennoscandian lakes. Arctic Alpine Res. 29: 75–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wetzel, R. G., 1983. Limnology. Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia: 753 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetzel, R. G. & A. Otsuki, 1974. Allochthonous organic carbon of a marl lake. Arch. Hydrobiol. 73: 31–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, L., 1988. SYSTAT: The system for statistics. SYSTAT Inc., Evanston, Illinois.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winter, T. C. & M. K. Woo, 1990. Hydrology of lakes and wetlands: In Wolman, M. G. & H. C. Riggs (eds), The Geology of North America, 0–1. Surface Water Hydrology. Geological Society of America, Boulder: 159–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woo, M. K. & R. Heron, 1989. Freze-up of ice cover on small arctic lakes. In MacKey, W. C. (ed), Northern Lakes and Rivers. Boreal Institute for Northern Studies Occasional Paper No. 22: 56–62.

Download references

Authors
  1. K. A. Moser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. P. Smol
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. R. S. Lean
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. G. M. MacDonald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moser, K.A., Smol, J.P., Lean, D.R.S. et al. Physical and chemical limnology of northern boreal lakes, Wood Buffalo National Park, northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Hydrobiologia 377, 25–43 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003225527053

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003225527053

Search

Navigation