Vanishing Glaciers & Emergent Lakes: constraints on aquatic ecosystem metabolism
Alpine glacier loss in Montana and across the world is resulting in the rapid change and even emergence of downstream lakes. The properties of glacial meltwater impose unique physical conditions on receiving lakes - primarily cold temperatures, high sediment load, and high nutrient concentrations. However, little is known about how biota persist in these conditions and even less about how they will change as glaciers disappear from the landscape. This project examines how the community structure, stoichiometry, and limitation of lake primary producers changes across a gradient of glacial influence. The research team hopes to predict how these lakes will change over time and whether biodiversity contained within them will persist after the glaciers are gone.
Dr. Ashley Ballantyne is an Associate Professor of Bioclimatology at the University of Montana and Dr. Jim Elser is the Bierman Professor of Ecology of the University of Montana and Director of UM’s Flathead Lake Biological Station at Yellow Bay.