North Temperate Lakes LTER: Benthic Macroinvertebrates 1981 - current

Macroinvertebrates are collected from selected shoreline and deep water locations in the seven primary lakes (Allequash, Big Muskellunge, Crystal, Sparkling, and Trout lakes, and unnamed lakes 27-02 [Crystal Bog], and 12-15 [Trout Bog]) in the Trout Lake area using modified Hester-Dendy samplers. Samplers are placed at fyke net and gill net locations in August and retrieved 3-4 weeks later. Macroinvertebrates are preserved in ethanol. This dataset contains counts of various groups of macroinvertebrates identified from specific samples. The majority of the identifications are at the genus level. The data table "Benthic Macroinvertebrate Codes" identifies the taxonomic group represented by each group code. Taxonomic references: Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates, Edited by James H Thorp and Alan P Covich, Academic Press, Inc, 1991; Aquatic Insects of Wisconsin, William L Hilsenhoff, Natural History Museums Council, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1995). Sampling Frequency: annually Number of sites: 7. Samplers were set in all seven lakes in 1981-1989,1992 and 1993. Only Trout, Sparkling, and Crystal Lakes were sampled in 1990, 1991, and 1994 to present. No lakes were sampled in 2020 or 2021.