Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

06 Jul, 10 AM - 22 Aug, 10 AM

Invasions of exotic species into ecosystems worldwide have exploded during the past several decades, often causing large alterations to community structure and ecosystem function. Our research examines how ecosystems respond, not to invasion, but to the elimination of an exotic species. Study of exotic eradication provides a rare opportunity to study the fundamental ecological proces of community assembly in nature. This research examines the recovery of alpine lake systems in the Sierra Nevada, California, after the eradication of exotic trout. A multi-faceted approach is taken that utilizes long-term whole-lake experiments, small-scale species manipulations, paleoecological analyses, and bioenergetics/mass balance modeling. Combined with a recently completed large-scale study of lake recovery (200 lakes), this approach will allow the quantification of ecological responses to release from perturbation over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. We are particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms preventing recovery of Hesperodiaptomus shoshone, a large red copepod that is driven to extinction by the stocking of non-native trout. All of the field work being conducted as part of this project is carried out off of the SNARL reserve in lakes within Humphrey's Basin, John Muir Wilderness. The research involves repeated sampling of 10 lakes for zooplankton. Facilities and housing needs for this project for 2005 include: housing for 1 person (Andrew Kramer), use of compound microscope in Roland Knapp's laboratory space and microcomputer access.

Visit #6722 @Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory

Approved

Under Project # 838 | Research

Michigan State University - Fisheries and Wildlife

faculty - Michigan State University

Reservation Members(s)

Orlando Sarnelle Jul 6 - Aug 22, 2005 (48 days)

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