Have watershed disturbances over the past ~200 years affected diatom composition in Algonquin Provincial Park lakes? A paleolimnological assessment
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Authors
Wilkins, Chris
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Lake , Algonquin , Paleolimnology , Cottages , diatoms , limnology
Alternative Title
Abstract
Algonquin Provincial Park (APP), located in south-central Ontario, spans an area of
7,635 km2 and is a destination for over 800,000 visitors a year. These visitors include cottage
owners, as cottages have been leased in APP since the early 1900s. In October 2017, policy
makers at the Ontario Ministry of Resources and Forestry (MNRF) announced the renewal of
cottage leases until December 2038, following a review process that included public consultation.
However, the impacts of these cottages and other current and historic anthropogenic stressors on
lake ecosystems are not yet well understood. To address this knowledge gap, paleolimnological
methods were used to assess whether anthropogenic stressors have affected APP lakes over the
past ~200 years. Using diatom assemblage composition, alongside spectrally-inferred chlorophyll
a and lake-water total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations from 210Pb-dated sediment cores
collected from five lakes, we determined pre-industrial (baseline) conditions and examined
whether historical catchment disturbances (e.g., logging, cottages, commercial establishments), as
well as regional climate change, have registered a response in the sedimentary records. To help
distinguish the effect of catchment development from natural variability, comparisons were made
between three lakes (Cache, Canoe, Smoke) that support cottages and commercial establishments
and two remote reference lakes (McIntosh, Welcome). Additionally, Cache Lake was included in
a productivity experiment in which large quantities of fertilizer were added between 1946 and
1947. In general, diatom assemblage changes were modest in all lakes, except for a clear response
to the nutrient manipulations in Cache Lake. In all lakes, early 19th century diatom compositional
changes together with trends in chlorophyll a and TOC appear to be a response to logging in the
region. Importantly, we found little evidence that cottages have made a discernible impact on
these lakes.
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Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States