Geology topics

B. M. Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to B. M. Johnson.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2012

The influence of external subsidies on diet, growth and Hg concentrations of freshwater sport fish: implications for management and fish consumption advisories

Mercury (Hg) contamination in sport fish is a global problem. In freshwater systems, food web structure, sport fish sex, size, diet and growth rates influence Hg bioaccumulation. Fish stocking is a common management practice worldwide that can introduce external energy and contaminants into freshwater systems. Thus, stocking can alter many of the factors that influence Hg concentrations in sport fish. Here we evaluated the influence of external subsidies, in the form of hatchery-raised rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss on walleye Sander vitreus diet, growth and Hg concentrations in two freshwater systems. Stocking differentially influenced male and female walleye diets and growth, producing a counterintuitive size-contamination relationship. Modeling indicated that walleye growth rate and diet were important explanatory variables when predicting Hg concentrations. Thus, hatchery contributions to freshwater systems in the form of energy and contaminants can influence diet, growth and Hg concentrations in sport fish. Given the extensive scale of fish stocking, and the known health risks associated with Hg contamination, this represents a significant issue for managers monitoring and manipulating freshwater food web structures, and policy makers attempting to develop fish consumption advisories to protect human health in stocked systems.

Ecotoxicology↗

USGS2009

Elemental signatures in otoliths of hatchery rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Distinctiveness and utility fo detecting origins and movement

Otolith chemistry in freshwater has considerable potential to reveal patterns of origin and movement, which would benefit traditional fisheries management and provide a valuable tool to curb the spread of invasive and illicitly stocked species. We evaluated the relationship between otolith and water chemistry for five markers (Ba/Ca, Mn/Ca, Sr/ Ca, Zn/Ca, and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using the existing hatchery system in Colorado and Wyoming, USA, to provide controlled, seminatural conditions. Otolith Ba/Ca, Sr/Ca, and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr reflected ambient levels, whereas Mn/Ca and Zn/Ca did not. Using only the markers correlated with water chemistry, we classified fish to their hatchery of origin with up to 96% accuracy when element and isotope data were used together. Large changes in 87Sr/ Sr were evident in otolith transects, although subtler changes in Sr/Ca were also detectable. Our results suggest the relatively few otolith markers that reflect ambient chemistry can discriminate among locations and track movements well enough to provide valuable insight in a variety of applied contexts.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS2004

Do predators influence the distribution of age-0 kokanee in a Colorado Reservoir?

Seasonal changes in reservoir conditions such as productivity, light, and temperature create spatiotemporal variation in habitat that may segregate or aggregate predators and prey, producing implications for the distribution, growth, and survival of fishes. We used hydroacoustics to document the diel vertical distribution of age-0 kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka relative to environmental gradients at Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado, during May-August of 2002. Temperature, light, and zooplankton density profiles were examined relative to foraging conditions for kokanee and their primary predator, lake trout Salvelinus namaycush. Age-0 kokanee displayed large diel vertical migrations in May despite the lack of an energetic advantage before reservoir stratification. Age-0 kokanee minimized near-surface foraging at this time, perhaps to avoid predation by visual predators, such as lake trout, in the well-lit surface waters. Strong reservoir stratification in midsummer appeared to provide a thermal refuge from lake trout that the kokanee exploited. By August vertical migrations were shallow and most kokanee remained in the epilimnion throughout the day. Although the energetic implications of the late-summer strategy are unclear, it appears that kokanee were responding to changes in their predator environment. A robust model for kokanee diel vertical migration across a range of systems should include a predator avoidance component.

Colorado↗

USGS2003

Lake-specific responses to elevated atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, U.S.A

We explored variability among subalpine lakes sharing very similar climate and atmospheric conditions, but differing in watershed characteristics, hydrology, and food web structure. Special attention was given to nitrogen (N) dynamics because the study area receives some of the highest levels of atmospheric N deposition in the Rocky Mountains. We asked if the effect of regional N deposition would be manifested uniformly among neighboring lakes both in terms of ambient conditions and responses to greater nutrient inputs. Catchment vegetation appeared to be the main determinant of ambient nitrate (NO 3 ), phosphate (PO 4 ), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, although in-lake differences in recycling produced variable and contrasting NH 4 levels. Phytoplankton chlorophyll a temporarily responded to early season NO 3 peaks in the lakes with rocky watersheds, but chlorophyll means over the ice-free season were remarkably similar among lakes despite differences in both nutrient supply and zooplankton grazing. In most cases, phosphorus was limiting to phytoplankton growth, although the importance of N deficiencies was greater in lakes with forested watersheds and fringing wetlands.

Colorado↗

USGS2003

Environmental characteristics and benthic invertebrate assemblages in Colorado mountain lakes

Twenty-two high-elevation lakes (>3000 m) in Rocky Mountain National Park and Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, Colorado, were surveyed during summer 1998 to explore relationships among benthic invertebrates, water chemistry (particularly nitrate concentrations), and other environmental variables. Water samples were collected from the deepest portion of each lake and analyzed for ions and other water chemistry parameters. Benthic invertebrates were collected from the littoral zone using both a sweep net and Hess sampler. Physical and geographical measurements were derived from maps. Relationships among benthic invertebrate assemblages and environmental variables were examined using canonical correspondence analysis, and the importance of sampling methodology and taxonomie resolution on these relationships was evaluated. Choice of sampling methodology strongly influenced the outcome of statistical analyses, whereas taxonomie resolution did not. Presence/absence of benthic invertebrate taxa among the study lakes was best explained by elevation and presence of fish. Relative abundance and density of benthic invertebrate taxa were more strongly influenced by sampling date and water chemistry. Nitrate (NO₃⁻) concentration, potentially on the rise due to regional nitrogen deposition, was unrelated to benthic invertebrate distribution regardless of sampling method or taxonomie resolution.

Western North American Naturalist↗

USGS2001

Assessing ecosystem effects of reservoir operations using food web-energy transfer and water quality models

We investigated the effects on the reservoir food web of a new temperature control device (TCD) on the dam at Shasta Lake, California. We followed a linked modeling approach that used a specialized reservoir water quality model to forecast operation-induced changes in phytoplankton production. A food web–energy transfer model was also applied to propagate predicted changes in phytoplankton up through the food web to the predators and sport fishes of interest. The food web–energy transfer model employed a 10% trophic transfer efficiency through a food web that was mapped using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. Stable isotope analysis provided an efficient and comprehensive means of estimating the structure of the reservoir's food web with minimal sampling and background data. We used an optimization procedure to estimate the diet proportions of all food web components simultaneously from their isotopic signatures. Some consumers were estimated to be much more sensitive than others to perturbations to phytoplankton supply. The linked modeling approach demonstrated that interdisciplinary efforts enhance the value of information obtained from studies of managed ecosystems. The approach exploited the strengths of engineering and ecological modeling methods to address concerns that neither of the models could have addressed alone: (a) the water quality model could not have addressed quantitatively the possible impacts to fish, and (b) the food web model could not have examined how phytoplankton availability might change due to reservoir operations.

Ecosystems↗