Lake communities and ecosystems monitoring protocol for the Arctic Network, Alaska
O'Donnell JA and Miller SD. 2018. Lake communities and ecosystems monitoring protocol for the Arctic Network, Alaska. Natural Resource Report. NPS/ARCN/NRR—2018/1708. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Lakes are an important component of the Arctic, playing a significant role in biogeochemical cycling and serving as critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Recent climate change in the Arctic has altered lake ecosystems, both through the direct effects of warming on surface water and by altering ecosystem processes and disturbance within lake basins. Large uncertainties exist regarding the spatial extent of these changes and the timing of lake-ecosystem responses to projected climate change. Here, we present a long-term monitoring protocol for the Lake Communities and Ecosystems vital sign, one of 19 vital signs within the National Park Service’s (NPS) Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network (ARCN). The ARCN is comprised of five NPS park units, including Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, and Noatak National Preserve. The Lake Communities and Ecosystems vital sign focuses primarily on large, deep lakes (generally >5 meters), complementing the ARCN Shallow Lakes vital sign. The overarching goal of our monitoring protocol is to detect long-term change in physical, chemical, and biological components of arctic lake ecosystems. The protocol narrative describes the background and justification for our monitoring design, while the accompanying standard operating procedures (SOPs) provide detailed methods for each component of the protocol. Using results from pilot studies, we have identified 18 lakes across the network for long-term monitoring. Our sampling design includes lakes that vary with geologic setting and surface water chemistry, and includes several unique maar lakes located in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. Findings from this monitoring program will inform and improve NPS land management and policy.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- O'Donnell, Jonathon; Miller, Scott
- Date of Issue
- 2018-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- ARCN , BELA , GAAR , NOAT , NRSS
- Keywords
- arctic, lakes, monitoring
Series
See also
- Standard Operating Procedure: Field Measurements
- Standard Operating Procedure: Data Management
- Standard Operating Procedure: Chemical Characterization of Surface Water
- Standard Operating Procedure: Continuous Lake Temperature Monitoring
- Standard Operating Procedure: Instrument Calibration for Water Quality Monitoring
- Standard Operating Procedure: Data Quality Assurance and Quality Control
- Data quality standards for lake communities and ecosystems monitoring in Alaska’s Arctic Network