Oak Lake Field Station : Perspectives of a Field Station Director

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/oak-lake_presentations/1009/thumbnail.jp

Presidential Address: The Need for Field Biologists in a Technophilic World

Address to the South Dakota Academy of Science Cedar Shore Resort, Chamberlain, SD April 5, 200

Aquative Invertebrate Communities and Biomonitoring: The Importance of Taxonomic Resolution

Invertebrates have long been monitored to evaluate water quality and habitat conditions within lakes and streams. However, limited expertise and funding has prompted managers and their consultants to simplify identifications which may undermine resource management efforts. This analysis was conducted to (1) summarize taxonomic composition and ecology of eastern South Dakota aquatic invertebrate communities and (2) evaluate differences in biomonitoring metrics resulting from different levels of identification. Invertebrate data were drawn from studies of 16 streams, six seasonal prairie potholes and eight semi-permanent prairie pothole basins sampled during five separate research efforts over a ten year period. While some differences in methodology were employed among studies, sweep nets were used in all but one study. Smaller streams and pothole basins in eastern South Dakota characteristically support high numbers of Diptera, Coleoptera and Hemiptera (Insecta), Euhirudinea and Oligochaeta (Annelida) and Hydracarina (Acari). Some of these taxa are more difficult to identify but may comprise over 50% of collected genera and more than 90% of total invertebrate numbers. In particular, the midge family Chironomidae is represented by genera varying significantly in their tolerance to organic pollution, functional feeding guilds and habit utilization guilds. Thus, intermediate taxonomy at the order or family level may eliminate more than 50% of taxonomic richness and reduce guild and pollution tolerance variability useful for delineating water quality and habitat patterns. These altered patterns may, in turn, lead to inappropriate management prescriptions for our lakes and streams

Landscapes, Water Quality and Aquatic Assemblages

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/oak-lake_presentations/1005/thumbnail.jp

Estimates of Diel Productivity from an Intermittently Exposed Prairie Pothole Basin

Contemporary basin trophic state classification is based largely on indicators of production, including water transparency, nutrient concentrations and chlorophyll a. These indicators support classification of most intermittently exposed prairie pothole basins in eastern South Dakota as hypereutrophic. However, few studies of basin productivity are available to validate trophic class assignment. The objective of this effort was to generate whole-basin productivity estimates for an intermittently exposed prairie pothole throughout the growing season and compare actual estimates of production with the assigned trophic state class. Diel estimates of production were generated from Oak Lake, Brookings County, SD in June, July, August and September 2010. Hourly measurements of dissolved oxygen were made over several days using a Hydrolab MS5 multiparameter sonde and resulting diel curves were used to estimate gross primary production, net primary production and community respiration. Gross primary production ranged from 2125 to 19210 mg C m-2 d-1 and 24 hour community respiration ranged from 1105 to 15385 mg C m-2 d-1. Ratios of gross primary production to 24 hour community respiration were greater than 1.0 throughout the growing season While high daily production was observed during the growing season, considerable variation was observed from day to day and throughout the season. These growing season estimates support trophic state indicator classification of this basin as hypereutrophic. Similar estimates of production might be generated regionally to validate indicator-based trophic state classes

Oak Lake Field Station : Station Overview

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/oak-lake_presentations/1010/thumbnail.jp

South Dakota Aquatic Invertebrate Collection and Database

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/oak-lake_presentations/1003/thumbnail.jp

Mentum Deformation of Chironomidae Subfamilies, Funtional Feeding, Guilds, and Habitat Guilds within the Cheyenne River Basin, South Dakota

Toxic score is a tool devised by Lenat (1993 Journal of the North American Benthological Society 12:265-269). Using mentum deformities of Chironomus larvae to evaluate the effects of toxicity and organic loading in streams. It uses mentum deformities within Chironomus to score a site for toxicity. Slight (Class 1), conspicuous (Class 2) and severe (Class 3) deformities are enumerated and used to generate the toxic score for each site. The purpose of this study was to document frequencies of deformities across Chironomidae subfamilies, functional feeding guilds, and habit guilds. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected from the Cheyenne River Basin 10 times from five sites following EPA EMAP protocols during the summers of 2007 and 2008. Individuals were slide mounted, identified to genus, and examined for mentum deformities. Out of 1399 individuals examined, 5% had Class 1 deformities, 0.93 % had Class 2 deformities, and 0.29% had Class 3 deformities. Chironominae were most frequently afflicted with Class 1 deformities (6.57%) and Tanypodinae were most frequently afflicted with Class 2 (2.63%) and Class 3 (0.38%) deformities. Collector gatherers were most frequently afflicted with Class 1 deformities (7.41%) and Class 3 deformities (0.38%). Engulfers were most frequently afflicted with Class 2 deformities (2.35%). Burrowers were most frequently afflicted with Class 1 deformities (7.64 %) and Class 3 deformities (0.4%). Sprawlers were most frequently afflicted with Class 2 deformities (2.3%). Based on previous literature our results suggest that the Chironomidae communities of these streams are minimally stressed by toxic contaminants

Relationships Between Net Primary Production, Water Transparency, Chlorophyll A, and Total Phosphorus in Oak Lake, Brookings County, South Dakota

Lake trophic state is of primary concern for water resource managers and is used as a measure of water quality and classification for beneficial uses. Secchi transparency, total phosphorus and chlorophyll a are surrogate measurements used in the calculation of trophic state indices (TSI) which classify waters as oligotrophic, mesotrophic, eutrophic or hypereutrophic. Yet the relationships between these surrogate measurements and direct measures of lake productivity vary regionally and may be influenced by external factors such as non-algal turbidity. Prairie pothole basins, common throughout eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota, are shallow glacial lakes subject to frequent winds and sediment resuspension. Light-dark oxygen bottle methodology was employed to evaluate vertical planktonic production within an eastern South Dakota pothole basin. Secchi transparency, total phosphorus and planktonic chlorophyll a were also measured from each of three basin sites at biweekly intervals throughout the 2012 growing season. Secchi transparencies ranged between 0.13 and 0.25 meters, corresponding to an average TSISD value of 84.4 (hypereutrophy). Total phosphorus concentrations ranged between 178 and 858 ug/L, corresponding to an average TSITP of 86.7 (hypereutrophy). Chlorophyll a values corresponded to an average TSIChla value of 69.4 (transitional between eutrophy and hypereutrophy) and vertical production profiles yielded areal net primary productivity values averaging 288.3 mg C∙m-2∙d-1 (mesotrophy). Our results support the hypothesis that resuspended non-algal turbidity, not planktonic production, decreases water transparency and reduces potential net primary production. Chlorophyll a TSI values corresponded most closely with measurements of planktonic production and better represented the trophic state of this basin

Descriptive Analysis of Aquatic Intertebrate Communities in Wadeable and Non-Wadeable Streams of the Northern Great Plains Network

The National Park Service has initiated the Inventory & Monitoring Program to identify and monitor vital signs of park conditions throughout the United States. Initial assessments and inventories are required to facilitate this monitoring program. This effort provided preliminary and methodologically consistent descriptions for wadeable and non-wadeable streams of the Northern Great Plains Network (NGPN). Sweepnet samples were collected from 41 reaches of 7 non-wadeable streams and 23 wadeable streams during the summers of 2004 and 2005 using modified U.S. EPA EMAP protocols. Wadeable stream samples contained 219 taxa (77 families, 188 genera), comprised primarily of insects (86%). Non-wadeable samples contained 179 taxa (62 families, 148 genera), also mostly insects (85%). Diptera and Coleoptera contributed the greatest number of genera and species to wadeable and non-wadeable stream communities. However, Ephemeroptera and Diptera were most numerically abundant from both habitats and the cumulative percent contribution of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera averaged 33.9% and 37.3% in wadeable and nonwadeable streams, respectively. Wadeable stream Shannon-Weiner H’ (SW) averaged 1.71 while non-wadeable SW averaged 1.51. Hilsenhoff Biotic Index values in wadeable sites ranged from 3.1 to 9.6 while non-wadeable site values ranged from 0.9 to 9.0. Swimming and clinging taxa, shredding large or gathering fine organic detritus were most abundant. Feeding and habit guild diversity was roughly similar between wadeable and non-wadeable stream classes. Results of this effort provide some of the first inventories and descriptions of aquatic invertebrates allowing comparisons among all 13 parks. These data provide a baseline for future monitoring of wadeable and non-wadeable streams within the network