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Main Authors: Mesquita, Patricia S, Wrona, Frederick J, Prowse, Terry D
Format: Dataset Open Access
Language:en
Published: PANGAEA 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.816875
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author Mesquita, Patricia S
Wrona, Frederick J
Prowse, Terry D
author_facet Mesquita, Patricia S
Wrona, Frederick J
Prowse, Terry D
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents 1. Global warming is predicted to cause changes in permafrost cover and stability in the Arctic. Zones of high ion concentration in regions of ice-rich permafrost are a reservoir of chemicals that can potentially be transferred to fresh waters during thawing. Consequently, input of enriched runoff from the thaw and sediment and vegetation from the landscape could alter lakes by affecting their geochemistry and biological production. 2. Three undisturbed lakes and five lakes disturbed by retrogressive permafrost thaw slumps were sampled during late summer of 2006 to assess the potential effects of thermokarst shoreline slumping on water and sediment chemistry, the underwater light regime, and benthic macrophyte biomass and community structure. 3. Undisturbed lakes had sediments rich in organic material and selected micronutrients, while disturbed lakes had sediments richer in calcium, magnesium and strontium, greater transparency of the water column, and a well-developed submerged macrophyte community. 4. It is postulated that enriched runoff chemistry may alter nutrient availability at the sediment-water interface and also the degradation of organic material, thus affecting lake transparency and submerged macrophytes. The results suggest that retrogressive permafrost slumping can significantly affect food webs in arctic tundra lakes through an increase in macrophyte biomass and development of a more complex benthic habitat.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_816875
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2010
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Physical, chemical and biological characteristics of disturbed and undisturbed Arctic lakes, Northwest Territories
Mesquita, Patricia S
Wrona, Frederick J
Prowse, Terry D
International Polar Year (2007-2008); IPY; Mackenzie_area; MULT; Multiple investigations; Northwest Territories, Canada
1. Global warming is predicted to cause changes in permafrost cover and stability in the Arctic. Zones of high ion concentration in regions of ice-rich permafrost are a reservoir of chemicals that can potentially be transferred to fresh waters during thawing. Consequently, input of enriched runoff from the thaw and sediment and vegetation from the landscape could alter lakes by affecting their geochemistry and biological production. 2. Three undisturbed lakes and five lakes disturbed by retrogressive permafrost thaw slumps were sampled during late summer of 2006 to assess the potential effects of thermokarst shoreline slumping on water and sediment chemistry, the underwater light regime, and benthic macrophyte biomass and community structure. 3. Undisturbed lakes had sediments rich in organic material and selected micronutrients, while disturbed lakes had sediments richer in calcium, magnesium and strontium, greater transparency of the water column, and a well-developed submerged macrophyte community. 4. It is postulated that enriched runoff chemistry may alter nutrient availability at the sediment-water interface and also the degradation of organic material, thus affecting lake transparency and submerged macrophytes. The results suggest that retrogressive permafrost slumping can significantly affect food webs in arctic tundra lakes through an increase in macrophyte biomass and development of a more complex benthic habitat.
title Physical, chemical and biological characteristics of disturbed and undisturbed Arctic lakes, Northwest Territories
topic International Polar Year (2007-2008); IPY; Mackenzie_area; MULT; Multiple investigations; Northwest Territories, Canada
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.816875