Spatial and temporal dynamics of suspended particle characteristics and composition in Navigation Pool 19 of the Upper Mississippi River data
Dates
Start Date
2013-05-01
End Date
2014-09-30
Citation
Milde, A.S., 2017, Spatial and temporal dynamics of suspended particle characteristics and composition in Navigation Pool 19 of the Upper Mississippi River data: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F70Z7250.
Summary
Suspended particles are an essential component of large rivers influencing channel geomorphology, biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, and food web resources. The Upper Mississippi River (UMR) is a large floodplain river that exhibits pronounced spatiotemporal variation in environmental conditions and biota, providing an ideal environment for investigating dynamics of suspended particles in large river ecosystems. Here we investigated two questions: (1) How do suspended particle characteristics (e.g., size and morphology) vary temporally and spatially? and (2) What environmental variables have the strongest association with particle characteristics? Water sampling was conducted in June, August, and September of 2013 and 2014 in Navigation [...]
Summary
Suspended particles are an essential component of large rivers influencing channel geomorphology, biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, and food web resources. The Upper Mississippi River (UMR) is a large floodplain river that exhibits pronounced spatiotemporal variation in environmental conditions and biota, providing an ideal environment for investigating dynamics of suspended particles in large river ecosystems. Here we investigated two questions: (1) How do suspended particle characteristics (e.g., size and morphology) vary temporally and spatially? and (2) What environmental variables have the strongest association with particle characteristics? Water sampling was conducted in June, August, and September of 2013 and 2014 in Navigation Pool 19 of the UMR. A FlowCAM particle imaging system was used to enumerate and measure particles 53–300 µm in diameter for size and shape characteristics (e.g., volume, elongation, and symmetry). Suspended particle characteristics varied considerably over space and time and were strongly associated with discharge and concentrations of nitrate + nitrite (NO3-) and soluble reactive phosphorous (SRP). Particle characteristics in backwaters were distinct from those in other habitats for most of the study period, likely due to reduced hydrologic connectivity and higher biotic production in backwaters. During low discharge, phytoplankton and zooplankton made up relatively greater proportions of the observed particles. Concurrently during low discharge, concentrations of chlorophyll, volatile suspended solids, and total phosphorous were higher. Our results suggest that there are complex interactions among space, time, discharge, and other environmental variables (e.g. water nutrients) which drive suspended particle dynamics in large rivers.
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Pool 19 suspended particle.xml Original FGDC Metadata
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Purpose
Suspended particles are an essential component in aquatic systems and play a major role in the functioning of rivers. Many characteristics of suspended particles have not been well studied in most rivers because enumerating, measuring, and identifying particles is difficult and time consuming. Investigating the spatiotemporal patterns in suspended particle dynamics (e.g., size and morphological characteristics and quantity) can improve our understanding of how discharge and geomorphology interact to affect this vital component of large floodplain rivers. Faster and higher resolution technologies that combine flow cytometry, microscopy, and digital imagery have recently been developed to more efficiently characterize suspended particles (Alvarez et al., 2011). This new technology (i.e., FlowCAM) was used to address two questions about suspended particle characteristics in a large river system, the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). (1) How do suspended particle characteristics differ spatially and temporally? and (2) What environmental variables, such as river discharge and dissolved nutrients, have the strongest association with suspended particle characteristics? Particles 53–300 µm in diameter were examined because this range reflects size classes that are important to primary consumers, such as filter-feeding insects, crustaceans (e.g., macrozooplankton; Thorp and Covich, 2010), and fishes (e.g., Dorosoma cepedianum and Asian carp; Drenner et al., 1984; Kolar et al., 2007). Particle characteristics data and images may be useful for inferring the relative composition of suspended particles and potentially the quality of particles as food for primary consumers.
