Land Use, Water Quality, and Biotic Community Attributes

Transcription

1 Land Use, Water Quality, and Biotic Community Attributes Exploring Linkages in Lake Ontario Coastal A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium Greg Grabas and Krista Holmes Canadian Wildlife Service November 19, 2010

2 The Canadian Wildlife Service has a lot of Lake Ontario coastal wetland data Lake Ontario sites Page 2 November 24, 2010

3 Habitat and biotic community data are collected Aquatic macroinvertebrates Submerged aquatic vegetation Fish Amphibian (frogs and toads) Breeding birds Water quality Page 3 November 24, 2010

4 Several water quality parameters are collected Temperature ph Conductivity Turbidity Nitrate Ammonia Total Phosphorus Page 4 November 24, 2010

5 There are surrounding land use data for several wetlands (n=28) Open Water Wetland Beach and Bluff Woodlot and Forest Pasture and Idle Field Crop and Improved Residential Non-Residential Development Utility and Transportation N Land Use within 1,000 metres of Wilmot Creek Wetland Meters Page 5 November 24, 2010

6 There are also Southern Ontario Land Resource Information System data summarized by watershed (n=37) SOLRIS - Regional, ecologically based, land cover / land use inventory. Page 6 November 24, 2010

7 Temperature ph Conductivity Turbidity Nitrate Ammonia N Meters Total Phosphorus

8 Use multiple regression and path diagrams to explore linkages Forward Stepwise Ridge Regression Covariates: Longitude, Watershed Size Landscape Variable 1 Landscape Variable 2 Habitat Variable 1 Habitat Variable 2 Probable Definite Relationships Thickness of the arrows indicates the magnitude of the Beta-value relationship Positive Negative Positive Negative Biotic Community Variable 2 Biotic Community Variable 1 Biotic Community Variable 3 *I.e., Elements of Biodiversity Page 8 November 24, 2010

9 Water Quality Conductivity Temperature Ammonia Nitrate Total Phosphorus ph Watershed Urban and Rural Development Forests Beta Surrounding Land Use Urban Development Wooded Areas Turbidity n=37

10 Water Quality Watershed Urban and Rural Development Ammonia Forests Beta Total Phosphorus Turbidity Richness of turbidity intolerant species Coverage of turbidity intolerant species Floristic quality Overall plant coverage Number of native species Surrounding Land Use Urban Development Wooded Areas n=37

11 Water Quality Temperature Ammonia Watershed Urban and Rural Development Forests Beta Total Phosphorus ph Turbidity Number of Mayfly and Caddisfly genera Number of Crustacean and Snail genera Surrounding Land Use Urban Development Wooded Areas Overall plant coverage Abundance of Caddisflies Number of families n=37

12 Water Quality Conductivity Watershed Urban and Rural Development Forests Beta Ammonia Surrounding Land Use Total Phosphorus ph Turbidity Number of native species Number of sunfish species Urban Development Wooded Areas Overall plant coverage Abundance of piscivores Biomass of non-native individuals Number of native individuals n=22

13 Water Quality Watershed Urban and Rural Development Forests Beta Nitrate Surrounding Land Use Urban Development Wooded Areas Number of species Number of woodland species Likelihood of detecting a woodland species n=22

14 Water Quality Watershed Urban and Rural Development Forests Beta Ammonia Surrounding Land Use Urban Development Total Phosphorus Turbidity Number of area-sensitive species Wooded Areas Overall plant coverage Abundance of marshnesting obligates Abundance of non-aerial foragers n=22

15 SAV Overall condition Richness of turbidity intolerant species Coverage of turbidity intolerant species Floristic Quality Overall plant coverage Number of native species Water Quality Overall condition Conductivity Temperature Ammonium Nitrate Total Phosphorus ph Urban and Rural Development Forests Urban Development Wooded Areas Turbidity Breeding Bird Overall condition Number of area-sensitive species Aquatic Invertebrate Overall condition Abundance of marsh-nesting obligates Abundance of non-aerial foragers Number of Mayfly and Caddisfly genera Number of families Number of Crustacean and Snail genera Abundance of Caddisflies Fish Overall condition Number of native species Number of Sunfish species Abundance of piscivores Amphibian Overall condition Number of species Number of woodland species Likelihood of detecting a woodland species Abundance of midges Number of native individuals Biomass of non-native individuals

16 Summary Watershed land use has the most links with water quality SAV many negative relationships with turbidity SAV coverage positive relationships with bird, amphibian, invertebrate, and fish communities Invertebrate negative relationships with ph and temperature Fish Negative relationships with conductivity but not turbidity (directly)? Birds and Amphibians - Surrounding land use relationships: Natural=good, Development=bad Page 16 November 24, 2010

17 Many other variables not examined Underlying Geomorphology Lake Level Regulation Effect of Water Exchange with the Lake Climate Change Feedback between (among?) variables Page 17 November 24, 2010

18 Thanks to our partners Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority Quinte Conservation Regional Municipality of Durham Page 18 November 24, 2010