Abstract
Macrophytes are an integral component of lake communities; therefore, understanding the factors that affect macrophyte community structure is important for conservation and management of lakes. In Sibley County, Minnesota, USA, five of the largest and most recreationally important lakes were surveyed using the point-intercept method. At each point the presence of macrophytes were recorded, water depth was measured, and a sediment sample was collected. Sediment samples were partitioned by determining sand, silt, clay, and organic matter fractions. The richness of macrophytes in all lakes were modeled via generalized linear regression with six explanatory variables: water depth, distance from shore, percent sand, percent silt, percent clay, and percent sediment organic matter. If model residuals were spatially autocorrelated, then a geographically weighted regression was used. Mean species richness (N point−1) was negatively related to depth and distance from shore and either positively or negatively related to silt depending on the lake and which macrophytes were present. All species richness models had pseudo-R2 values between 0.25 and 0.40. Curlyleaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) was found at 44% of all sampling points in one lake, and its presence was related to water depth, percent silt, and percent sediment organic matter during early season surveys. Results from this study exhibit the inhibitory relationship between water depth and macrophyte growth. The results from these models suggest interactions are complex between macrophytes, environmental factors, and sediment texture; and that these interactions are species and site specific. A single landscape scale model would not be appropriate to capture the in-lake processes driving macrophyte distribution and abundance; and management strategies will need to be developed on a lake-by-lake basis.
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Data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to the Sibley County Soil and Water Conservation District for funding this study. Thanks to Joel Wurscher and Jack Bushman from Sibley County Soil and Water Conservation for logistic and informational contributions to this study. Thanks to the following Aquatic Weed Science Lab Technicians: Alex Green, Amber Fistler, Ashley Kasper, BaileyClaire Scott, Franklin Rogers, June Somsanith, Kari Solfest, Sara Ademi, and Vincent McKnight.
Funding
This research was funded by the Sibley County Soil and Water Conservation District through funds allocated from the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Aid program.
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SS – conducted the research as part of his MS degree, analyzed data, and was the primary writer of the manuscript. RW – was the chair of the graduate committee, assisted in field data collection, and was a major contributor in data analysis and manuscript preparation. JF – was a major contributor in spatial model creation and data analysis, he was also a major contributor in manuscript preparation.
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Schmid, S.A., Wersal, R.M. & Fleming, J.P. Abiotic factors that affect the distribution of aquatic macrophytes in shallow north temperate Minnesota lakes: a spatial modeling approach. Aquat Ecol 56, 917–935 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-022-09969-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-022-09969-3