Thesis
Environmental predictors of cyanobacteria biovolumes and algal dominance in Liberty Lake, WA
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2011
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102978
Abstract
Cyanobacteria blooms occurred in Liberty Lake in 1970s due to cultural eutrophication. Grass root efforts prompted water quality monitoring and restoration as algal blooms intensified. Internal and external nutrient loading reduction strategies have decreased cyanobacteria blooms to rare events. As restoration science and cyanobacteria knowledge was developing, the phosphorus paradigm guided restoration projects. Liberty was one of the earliest restoration projects based on the paradigm. The paradigm has been debated among scientists due to advances in lake ecology understanding. Analyzing projects based on the paradigm is important to validate effects on cyanobacteria blooms. The long term dataset collected for Liberty enabled analysis of environmental variability and potential factors that influence cyanobacteria blooms. Cyanobacteria biovolumes and algal dominance related primarily to phosphorus. Phosphorus reduction strategies appear to have been effective in reducing cyanobacteria blooms in Liberty Lake as decreasing trends in cyanobacteria biovolumes and dominance of the phytoplankton were observed since the restoration. Our findings reinforce traditional limnology science concerning cyanobacteria and nutrient requirements. This study is an important asset to restoration science because it incorporates multiple years of data from one of the first restoration projects in the country.
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Details
- Title
- Environmental predictors of cyanobacteria biovolumes and algal dominance in Liberty Lake, WA
- Creators
- Sandra Suzanne Mead
- Contributors
- Barry C. Moore (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, College of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525117301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis