Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER)/NTL009: Fish in North Temperate Lakes Primary Study Lakes

LTER - Long-Term Ecological Research Program/North Temperate Lakes (NTL)

LTER/NTL009 [Summary adapted from the LTER Core Data Set Catalog]:

Data are collected annually to enable us to track the fish assemblages of seven primary lakes (Allequash, Big Muskellunge, Crystal, Sparkling, Trout, and bog lakes 27-02 and 12-15). Sampling is done at six littoral zone sites per lake with seine, minnow, or crayfish traps, and fyke nets; a boat-mounted electroshocker samples four littoral transects. Vertically hung gill nets are used to obtain two pelagic samples per lake from the deepest point. A trammel net samples across the thermocline at two sites per lake. Parameters measured include species identification and lengths for all fish caught, and weight and scale samples from a subset. Derived data include catch per unit effort, growth, and size and age distribution by species, lake, and year. Dominant species vary from lake to lake. Perch, rockbass, and bluegill are common, with walleye, Micropterus spp, and Esox spp as major piscivores. Cisco are present in the pelagic waters of three lakes, and the introduced species, rainbow smelt, is present in two. The bog lakes contain mudminnows.

The North Temperate Lakes (NTL) site is affiliated with the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The NTL site focuses its research on north temperate lake ecosystems in the Northern Highland Lakes District of Wisconsin. The Northern Highland Lakes District, has an area of approximately 10,000 sq. km. and has one of the highest concentrations of lakes in the world. Lakes range in size from 0.1 to 1,500 ha, in depth from 1 to 33 m, and in fertility from oligotrophic to eutrophic. Other representative limnological conditions include: rainwater dominated, groundwater dominated and drainage lakes; dystrophic lakes; lakes with varved sediments, winterkill lakes, temporary and permanent forest ponds, and reservoirs. Lakes are influenced by strong seasonality and are usually ice covered from late November to late April. Lakes within the Northern Highland exhibit near-natural water quality conditions. Nearly 80% of the land area and two-thirds of the lake frontage are protected.

Information about LTER is also available at
'http://lternet.edu/'