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William B Richardson

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Hydraulic connection between channels and floodplains (“connectivity”) is a fundamental determinant of ecosystem function in large floodplain rivers. Factors controlling material processing in these rivers depend not only on the degree of connectivity but also on the sediment conditions, nutrient loads and source. Nutrient cycling in the nutrient-rich upper Mississippi River (MISS) is relatively well studied, while that of less eutrophic tributaries is not (e.g., St Croix River; SACN). We examined components of nitrogen cycling in two floodplain rivers of contrasting nutrient enrichment and catchment land-use to test the hypothesis that N-cycling rates will be greater in the MISS with elevated nutrient-loads and...
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Characterizing Rivermouth Ecosystems
Description of Work The GLRI Rivermouths Project (template 82) is designed to enhance our understanding of how rivermouths function at both regional and local scales by 1) developing a rivermouth classification system, based on a broad scale database covering all Great Lakes rivermouths (>2000); 2) creating a science-based understanding of how the ecological structure and function of rivermouths are linked both to the landscapes they drain and to the Lakes with which they mix; and 3) increasing the public and scientific profile of these ecosystems by connecting researchers and natural resource managers through a collaborative dialog. The long-term goal is to provide enhanced guidance for restoration and rehabilitation...
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Large lakes provide a variety of ecological services to surrounding cities and communities. Many of these services are supported by ecological processes that are threatened by the increasing prevalence of cyanobacterial blooms which occur as aquatic ecosystems experience cultural eutrophication. Over the past 10 years, Lake Erie experienced cyanobacterial blooms of increasing severity and frequency, which have resulted in impaired drinking water for the surrounding communities. Cyanobacterial blooms may impact ecological processes that support other services, but many of these impacts have not been documented. Secondary production (production of primary consumers) is an important process that supports economically...
This dataset includes information from multiple taxa collected from four main reaches in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, including La Grange reach of Illinois River, Pool 2 of Mississippi River, Pool 19 of Mississippi River, and the St. Croix River. Taxa include hydropsychid caddisflies, chironomids, hexagenia mayflies, threeridge mussels, mapleleaf mussels, Wabash pigtoe mussels, bigmouth buffalo, gizzard shad, and bluegill. Seston samples were also collected, in addition to water samples for identifying and enumerating phytoplankton species. Fatty acids, lipids, and stable isotopes were quantified for the aforementioned taxa. Water quality data were recorded at the time of sample collection and discharge data...
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Tributary inputs to lakes and seas are measured at riverine gages, upstream of lentic influence. Between these riverine gages and the nearshore zones of large waterbodies lie rivermouths, which may retain, transform and contribute materials to the nearshore zone. During the summer of 2011, twenty-three tributary systems of the Laurentian Great Lakes were sampled from river to nearshore for dissolved and particulate carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations, as well as bulk seston and chlorohyll a concentrations. Rivermouths had higher concentrations of C and P than nearshore areas and more chlorophyll a than upstream river waters. Compared to a conservative mixing model, rivermouths as a class appeared...
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