“This volume offers a polythetic view of current conditions in Lake Superior and some insightful suggestions about where and how improvements should continue. The chapters presented range from basic reviews of what we know as a consequence of effective research, to those that identify the little we know about challenging environmental issues for the future. Among those are the continuing concerns about contaminants, the burgeoning march of invasive species and the portent of global change. We find some encouragement in the resilience of this large lake ecosystem. There is credit and hope reflected in our abilities to guide both the continuing restoration and effective protection of Gitche Gummee, the world’s largest lake.”
– J.F. Kitchell, Director, Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin.
Table of Contents
Foreword
H.A Regier
Preface
J.F. Kitchell
Physical and chemical regimes:
An Overview of the Characteristics of Lake Superior Meteorology, Hydrology and Physical Limnology
W. Schertzer, Y. R. Rao
Contemporary Lake Superior ice cover climatology
R.A. Assel
Nutrient Cycling in Lake Superior: A Retrospective and Update
N.R. Urban
Carbon Cycling in Lake Superior: A Regional and Ecosystem Perspective
N.R. Urban
Lake Superior Mining and the Proposed Mercury Zero-discharge Region
W.C. Kerfoot, J. Jeong, J.A. Robbins
Nutrient variability in Lake Superior coastal wetlands: the role of land use and hydrology.
J.A. Morrice, A.S. Trebitz, J.R. Kelly, A.M. Cotter, M.L. Knuth
Modeling contaminant behaviour in Lake Superior: A comparison of PCBs, PBDEs and mercury
M.D. Rowe, J.A. Perlinger, N.R. Urban
Food web dynamics:
The base of the food web at the top of the Great Lakes: Structure and function of the microbial food web of Lake Superior
M. Munawar, I. F. Munawar, M. Fitzpatrick, H. Niblock, J. Lorimer
Phytoplankton communities of Lake Superior 2001: Changing species composition and biodiversity of a pristine ecosystem
I.F. Munawar, M. Munawar
Metacommunity Perspective on Zooplanktonic Communities in Lake Superior
W.C. Kerfoot, J.W. Budd, J.H. Churchill, C. Chen
Trends in Spring Crustacean Zooplankton Communities of Lake Superior: Evidence of Planktivory by Lake Herring
O.T. Gorman, L.M. Evrard, M.H. Hoff, J.H. Selgeby
Spatial patterns of water quality and plankton from high-resolution continuous in situ sensing along a 537-km nearshore transect of western Lake Superior, 2004
P.M. Yurista, J.R. Kelly
Status of benthic macroinvertebrates in southern nearshore Lake Superior, 1994-2003
J. Scharold, S.J. Lozano, T.D. Corry
Changes in the Lake Superior fish community during 1978-2003: Chronicling the recovery of a native fauna
O.T. Gorman, M.H. Hoff
Western Lake Superior benthic fish community structure during the summers of 1972-1995
M.H. Hoff
Community structure and trends in abundance of breeding birds in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
M.H. Hoff, J. Van Stappen
Colonial nesting waterbirds in the Canadian and U.S. waters of Lake Superior: patterns in colony distribution and breeding population numbers (1976-2000)
R.D. Morris, D.V.C. Weseloh, C. Pekarik
Trophic linkages in the Lake Superior food web: A synthesis of empirical and modelling studies 1970-2003
T.B. Johnson
Fish Fauna of Lake Superior: Past, Present and Future
N.E. Mandrak