Breeding eider ducks strongly influence subarctic coastal pond chemistry
Arctic freshwater ponds are typically pristine and oligotrophic, however, seabird biovectors can markedly alter 29 water quality via enrichment with marine-derived nutrients and bioaccumulated metals. These ornithogenic inputs 30 can be the dominant factor structuring aquatic biota and the surroundi...
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ftqueensuniv:oai:qspace.library.queensu.ca:1974/26391 2023-05-15T15:00:00+02:00 Breeding eider ducks strongly influence subarctic coastal pond chemistry Duda, Matthew P. Hargan, Kathryn E. Michelutti, Neal Kimpe, Linda E. Clyde, Nik Gilchrist, H. Grant Mallory, Mark L. Blais, Jules M. Smol, John 2019-07-11T18:28:04Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/26391 en eng http://hdl.handle.net/1974/26391 Ornitholimnology Biovector Common Eider Arctic Nutrients Metal journal article 2019 ftqueensuniv 2020-12-29T09:09:54Z Arctic freshwater ponds are typically pristine and oligotrophic, however, seabird biovectors can markedly alter 29 water quality via enrichment with marine-derived nutrients and bioaccumulated metals. These ornithogenic inputs 30 can be the dominant factor structuring aquatic biota and the surrounding island flora. Here, we measured a suite 31 of limnological water chemistry variables and sediment geochemistry from 21 freshwater ponds influenced by 32 Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) in Hudson Strait, near the northern communities of Cape Dorset (Nunavut) 33 and Ivujivik (Quebec). Nest counts and sedimentary δ15N values were used as proxies of bird abundance. Nutrient-34 rich guano from the nesting eiders visibly promoted the growth of catchment vegetation. Elevated metal (Al, Cd, 35 Zn), metalloid (Se), and nutrient concentrations (N, P) in the water of eider-affected sites were recorded (Sign test; 36 p = 0.004), but the proximity of many sites to the coast meant that variables related to ocean spray (conductivity, 37 Na+, Mg2+, Cl-, Sr) confounded the effects of birds on pond water chemistry. In contrast, sediment geochemistry 38 appeared to more clearly characterize sites according to the level of eider activity in their catchments by tracking 39 Pb, Cd, N, and P sedimentary concentrations (Sign test; p = 0.02). These results have direct implications for 40 reconstructing historical eider population trends using sediment archives, which is necessary to inform effective conservation management strategies. Environment and Climate Change Canada, W. Garfield Weston Foundation, Natural 49 Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Pew Charitable Trusts, Nunavut General 50 Monitoring Plan (NGMP), ArcticNet Network Centres of Excellence Canada Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic ArcticNet Cape Dorset Climate change Common Eider Hudson Strait Nunavut Somateria mollissima Subarctic Queen's University, Ontario: QSpace Arctic Canada Cape Dorset ENVELOPE(-76.482,-76.482,64.179,64.179) Guano ENVELOPE(141.604,141.604,-66.775,-66.775) Hudson Hudson Strait ENVELOPE(-70.000,-70.000,62.000,62.000) Ivujivik ENVELOPE(-77.916,-77.916,62.417,62.417) Nunavut Pew ENVELOPE(169.183,169.183,-72.317,-72.317) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Queen's University, Ontario: QSpace |
op_collection_id |
ftqueensuniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Ornitholimnology Biovector Common Eider Arctic Nutrients Metal |
spellingShingle |
Ornitholimnology Biovector Common Eider Arctic Nutrients Metal Duda, Matthew P. Hargan, Kathryn E. Michelutti, Neal Kimpe, Linda E. Clyde, Nik Gilchrist, H. Grant Mallory, Mark L. Blais, Jules M. Smol, John Breeding eider ducks strongly influence subarctic coastal pond chemistry |
topic_facet |
Ornitholimnology Biovector Common Eider Arctic Nutrients Metal |
description |
Arctic freshwater ponds are typically pristine and oligotrophic, however, seabird biovectors can markedly alter 29 water quality via enrichment with marine-derived nutrients and bioaccumulated metals. These ornithogenic inputs 30 can be the dominant factor structuring aquatic biota and the surrounding island flora. Here, we measured a suite 31 of limnological water chemistry variables and sediment geochemistry from 21 freshwater ponds influenced by 32 Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) in Hudson Strait, near the northern communities of Cape Dorset (Nunavut) 33 and Ivujivik (Quebec). Nest counts and sedimentary δ15N values were used as proxies of bird abundance. Nutrient-34 rich guano from the nesting eiders visibly promoted the growth of catchment vegetation. Elevated metal (Al, Cd, 35 Zn), metalloid (Se), and nutrient concentrations (N, P) in the water of eider-affected sites were recorded (Sign test; 36 p = 0.004), but the proximity of many sites to the coast meant that variables related to ocean spray (conductivity, 37 Na+, Mg2+, Cl-, Sr) confounded the effects of birds on pond water chemistry. In contrast, sediment geochemistry 38 appeared to more clearly characterize sites according to the level of eider activity in their catchments by tracking 39 Pb, Cd, N, and P sedimentary concentrations (Sign test; p = 0.02). These results have direct implications for 40 reconstructing historical eider population trends using sediment archives, which is necessary to inform effective conservation management strategies. Environment and Climate Change Canada, W. Garfield Weston Foundation, Natural 49 Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Pew Charitable Trusts, Nunavut General 50 Monitoring Plan (NGMP), ArcticNet Network Centres of Excellence Canada |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Duda, Matthew P. Hargan, Kathryn E. Michelutti, Neal Kimpe, Linda E. Clyde, Nik Gilchrist, H. Grant Mallory, Mark L. Blais, Jules M. Smol, John |
author_facet |
Duda, Matthew P. Hargan, Kathryn E. Michelutti, Neal Kimpe, Linda E. Clyde, Nik Gilchrist, H. Grant Mallory, Mark L. Blais, Jules M. Smol, John |
author_sort |
Duda, Matthew P. |
title |
Breeding eider ducks strongly influence subarctic coastal pond chemistry |
title_short |
Breeding eider ducks strongly influence subarctic coastal pond chemistry |
title_full |
Breeding eider ducks strongly influence subarctic coastal pond chemistry |
title_fullStr |
Breeding eider ducks strongly influence subarctic coastal pond chemistry |
title_full_unstemmed |
Breeding eider ducks strongly influence subarctic coastal pond chemistry |
title_sort |
breeding eider ducks strongly influence subarctic coastal pond chemistry |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/1974/26391 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-76.482,-76.482,64.179,64.179) ENVELOPE(141.604,141.604,-66.775,-66.775) ENVELOPE(-70.000,-70.000,62.000,62.000) ENVELOPE(-77.916,-77.916,62.417,62.417) ENVELOPE(169.183,169.183,-72.317,-72.317) |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Cape Dorset Guano Hudson Hudson Strait Ivujivik Nunavut Pew |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Cape Dorset Guano Hudson Hudson Strait Ivujivik Nunavut Pew |
genre |
Arctic ArcticNet Cape Dorset Climate change Common Eider Hudson Strait Nunavut Somateria mollissima Subarctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic ArcticNet Cape Dorset Climate change Common Eider Hudson Strait Nunavut Somateria mollissima Subarctic |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/1974/26391 |
_version_ |
1766332108559613952 |