Lakes as coupled human and natural systems

Evaluating the effects of upstream lakes and wetlands on lake phosphorus concentrations

• The presence, connectivity, and configuration of upstream lakes and wetlands are features of the landscape that are likely to affect downstream lake phosphorus concentrations.
• These freshwater features are rarely incorporated into phosphorus loading models, perhaps because of the need for spatially-explicit approaches that account for their location and configuration.

Research Question

• What level of spatial complexity is needed to effectively model lake phosphorus concentrations?
• What effects do upstream lakes and wetlands have on downstream lake phosphorus concentrations?

Approach

• Comparison of the performance of four models with different levels of spatial complexity using 399 Michigan lakes.

Funding

MSU Center for Water Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.

Current Employment

University of Florida