Predicting Late Winter Dissolved Oxygen Levels in Arctic Lakes Using Morphology and Landscape Metrics

Abstract

Overwintering habitat for Arctic freshwater fish is essential, such that understanding the distribution of winter habitat quality at the landscape-scale is warranted. Adequate dissolved oxygen (DO) is a major factor limiting habitat quality in the Arctic region where ice cover can persist for 8 months each year. Here we use a mixed-effect model developed from 20 lakes across northern Alaska to assess which morphology and landscape attributes can be used to predict regional overwintering habitat quality. Across all lakes, we found that the majority of the variations in late winter DO can be explained by lake depth and littoral area. In shallow lakes (<4 m), we found evidence that additional variables such as elevation, lake area, ice cover duration, and snow depth were associated with DO regimes. Low DO regimes were most typical of shallow lakes with large littoral areas and lakes that had high DO regimes often were lakes with limited littoral areas and deeper water. Our analysis identifies metrics that relate to late winter DO regimes in Arctic lakes that can aid managers in understanding which lakes will likely provide optimum DO for overwintering habitat. Conversely, lakes which predicted to have marginal winter DO levels may be vulnerable to disturbances that could lower DO below critical thresholds to support sensitive fish. In regions where lakes are also used by humans for industrial winter water supply, such as ice-road construction for oil and gas development, these findings will be vital for the management of resources and protection of Arctic fish.

Under‐ice metabolism in a shallow lake in a cold and arid climate

“…This agrees with the results of several previous studies (e.g. Apple et al, 2006;Burns, 1995;Leppi, Arp, & Whitman, 2016;Pace & Prairie, 2005;Wissel, Quiñones-Rivera, & Fry, 2008) suggesting that radiation also controls respiration indirectly through primary production. In addition, low DO concentration close to the sediment may explain P release F I G U R E 6 Gross primary production (GPP; black dots), ecosystem respiration (R; white dots) and net ecosystem production (NEP; small dots) in Wuliangsuhai in January-March 2017 F I G U R E 7 Daily gross primary production (GPP) relative to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) under the ice between 16 February and 10 March 2017 from the sediment observed by Zhao et al (2017) in WL.…”

“…This agrees with the results of several previous studies (e.g. Apple et al., ; Burns, ; Leppi, Arp, & Whitman, ; Pace & Prairie, ; Wissel, Quiñones‐Rivera, & Fry, ) suggesting that radiation also controls respiration indirectly through primary production. In addition, low DO concentration close to the sediment may explain P release from the sediment observed by Zhao et al.…”

Winter Survival, Habitat Use, and Hypoxia Tolerance of Montana Arctic Grayling in a Winterkill‐Prone Lake

“…; Leppi et al. ). A condition of low oxygen, or hypoxia, in winter is a common phenomenon in these systems and results from persistent snow and ice cover, which prevents or greatly limits atmospheric gas exchange and photosynthetic production (Mathias and Barica ).…”

“…Lake depth, duration and thickness of ice cover, macrophyte abundance, and presence or absence of inlet streams have been shown to influence the degree of winter hypoxia (Mathias and Barica ; Guenther and Hubert ; Leppi et al. ). In many northern temperate lakes, the oxygen‐limiting period only ends with the initiation of atmospheric reaeration and photosynthetic DO production associated with ice breakup in spring (Barica and Mathias ).…”

“…Ice-covered lakes can exhibit pronounced spatial and temporal variability in dissolved oxygen (DO) availability (Greenbank 1945;Agbeti and Smol 1995;Hasler et al 2009;Leppi et al 2016). A condition of low oxygen, or hypoxia, in winter is a common phenomenon in these systems and results from persistent snow and ice cover, which prevents or greatly limits atmospheric gas exchange and photosynthetic production (Mathias and Barica 1980).…”