Ss. Dixit et al., Assessing water quality changes in the lakes of the northeastern United States using sediment diatoms, CAN J FISH, 56(1), 1999, pp. 131-152
Citations number
36
Categorie Soggetti
Aquatic Sciences
Journal title
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES
Diatom assemblages were selected as indicators of lake condition and to ass
ess historical lake water quality changes in 257 lakes in the northeastern
United States. The "top" (surface sediments, present-day) and "bottom" (gen
erally from >30 cm deep, representing historical conditions) samples from s
ediment cores collected from lakes and reservoirs were analyzed for diatom
assemblages. The distribution of diatom species was closely related to seve
ral environmental variables, primarily lake water pH, total phosphorus, and
chloride. Using weighted-averaging calibration and regression approaches,
we constructed predictive models to infer these variables from the diatom a
ssemblages. The diatom-based inference models were then used to assess the
current status of lake water quality and to assess historical changes in la
ke water conditions in natural lakes over the past 150 years. Changes were
also assessed in reservoirs. Population estimates of historical changes in
limnological variables were made for all lakes of the northeast United Stat
es and also for lakes in the Adirondacks, New England Uplands, and Coastal
Lowlands/Plateau ecoregions. The extent of cultural impact has been quite v
ariable among the ecoregions, with marked water quality deterioration occur
ring in hundreds of lakes. Chloride and phosphorus levels have increased, e
specially in lakes that currently have high concentrations. Low-pH lakes ha
ve become more common in all three ecoregions. The maximum abundance of low
-pH lakes was recorded in the Adirondacks, an area receiving the highest ac
idic precipitation in the northeast. In the Coastal Lowlands/Plateau, there
has been a clear increase in eutrophic lakes, as inferred by total phospho
rus. This was accompanied by a marked increase in the number of lakes with
high chloride levels.