Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

PDF

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Theses/Dissertations

Lake Superior

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Under Ice Photosynthetic Primary Production And Dark Carbon Fixation In A Temperate Freshwater System, Vanessa Cubillos Tellez Jan 2023

Under Ice Photosynthetic Primary Production And Dark Carbon Fixation In A Temperate Freshwater System, Vanessa Cubillos Tellez

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Ice-covered lakes are vulnerable to environmental change, especially those in the Northern Hemisphere where ice cover is rapidly declining due to global warming. These changes can alter metabolic processes and disrupt carbon cycling driven by primary producers who form the base of the food chain and are key to sustaining ecosystem function. Photosynthetic primary production and dark carbon fixation under the ice in the Keweenaw Waterway, a temperate freshwater system that is ice-covered for ~3 months out of the year, were studied using a carbon isotopic labeling (14C-bicarbonate) technique. Water samples were collected weekly during ice cover and monthly during …


Anthropogenic Influences On The Decline, Restoration, And Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics Of Lake Superior’S Coaster Brook Trout, Austin Johnson Jan 2022

Anthropogenic Influences On The Decline, Restoration, And Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics Of Lake Superior’S Coaster Brook Trout, Austin Johnson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The coaster brook trout is a life history variant of the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) that is characterized by either lake residency or migration between stream and lake habitats. Coaster brook trout were once widespread throughout Lake Superior and its tributaries, but populations declined sharply in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Historically, brook trout were a popular target of recreational and subsistence fishing in the Lake Superior basin, and it has been hypothesized that angling pressure combined with multiple forms of industrial development are what drove the coaster brook trout’s decline. In the mid …


The Decline Of Lake Superior's Woodland Caribou: A Historical Gis Analysis, Jordan W. Kelley Jan 2022

The Decline Of Lake Superior's Woodland Caribou: A Historical Gis Analysis, Jordan W. Kelley

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lake Superior’s woodland caribou have been declining since the early 1800s. This thesis asks: why? We hypothesize that as settlers expanded into the region, industrial development in woodland caribou habitat reduced woodland caribou persistence. Using an Historical Geospatial Information System (HGIS) analysis, we find that historical mining and railroad infrastructure are associated with woodland caribou extirpation, while wetlands and protected areas are associated with caribou persistence. We also conducted a stakeholder synthesis of the region to help understand diverse perspectives within and between advocacy coalitions that take different positions on the most effective caribou restoration policies. Beliefs on recovery options …