Year of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Evolution

Other Degree Name/Area of Focus

Biology

Department or School/College

Division of Biological Sciences

Committee Co-chair

James J. Elser, Ashley Ballantyne

Commitee Members

Robert Hall, Janice Brahney, Arthur Woods

Keywords

glaciers, lakes, nutrients, stoichiometry, zooplankton

Publisher

University of Montana

Abstract

Conceptual models of primary succession in lakes often do not match with empirical data. New lakes arising in mountain regions due to the loss of alpine glaciers offer an opportunity to study newly forming lakes. In addition to the loss of alpine glaciers, mountain lakes are currently experiencing rapid changes, including increased vegetation cover, variable snowpack, and increased nutrient deposition. In this dissertation, I used glacial and elevation gradients to investigate the ecology and biogeochemistry of early lakes and how they may change through time. The first chapter details the glacial gradient and shows that early lakes dominated by glacial meltwater are distinct ecosystems with harsh physical filtering of zooplankton. Next, I show patterns of lake metabolism across elevation gradients and show that both hydrology and nutrient stoichiometry drive lake metabolism. Finally, I show that phosphorus is the primary limiting element for lake phytoplankton across both glacial and elevation gradients. Future work should continue to focus on the ecology of emerging lakes in mountain regions.

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© Copyright 2023 Joseph William Vanderwall