SG: The ecosystem ecology of lake ice loss in north-temperate lakes

湖湖学领域是对内陆水域的研究。从历史上看，湖沼学家一直致力于研究夏季的湖泊，而忽略了冬季。冬季田野工作是具有挑战性的。然而，美国的大多数湖泊至少在冬季的部分时间里会结冰。对夏季研究的偏爱导致了对冰下湖泊化学和生物学知识的空白。更紧迫的是，随着环境条件的预期变化，需要了解湖泊和水库在冬季的运行情况，以便更全面地了解湖泊。这些知识对于未来淡水资源的管理也是至关重要的，因为未来的冬季更短，湖冰更少。该项目通过使用从威斯康星州北部湖泊收集的长期数据，结合除雪实验来研究冰下藻类及其对春季藻类大量繁殖的影响，从而推进了冬季湖沼学日益增长的领域。这项研究还将为包括K-12、本科生和研究生在内的学生提供实践研究体验。该项目将利用北温带湖泊长期生态研究(NTL-LTER)站点丰富的冬季湖湖学数据集、高频传感器和常年湖湖学野外观测站的资源，促进对冰下生态的理解。为了解决湖冰消失将如何影响湖泊生产力这一首要问题，该项目关注三个问题：湖冰下浮游活动是否有季节性连续；冬季生产力的主要驱动因素是什么；冰较少的季节或早期结冰的季节如何改变春季浮游植物的繁殖？这三个问题将通过长期数据分析、比较和实验研究以及建模相结合来解决。这七个研究湖泊位于威斯康星州北部，自1981年以来一直进行例行监测。此外，一个沼泽湖将作为雪操纵实验的地点。该项目将产生多种成果，包括对冰下群落动态和生产力的洞察、冰下叶绿素和氧气生产的动态性质以及光可获得性在冰下生产力中的作用。所有这些分析将进一步提高我们预测未来湖泊冰减少将如何改变湖泊生态系统动态的能力。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The field of limnology is the study of inland waters. Historically, limnologists have dedicated their efforts to studying lakes in the summer, while overlooking winter. Winter field work is challenging. Most lakes in the United States, however, freeze over for at least part of the winter. A bias for summer research has left gaps in knowledge on lake chemistry and biology under ice. More pressingly, with anticipated changes in environmental conditions, there is a need for information on how lakes and reservoirs function in the winter for a more complete understanding of lakes. This knowledge is also critical to future management of freshwater resources in a future with shorter winters and less lake ice. The project advances the growing field of winter limnology by using long-term data collected on northern lakes in Wisconsin in conjunction with a snow-removal experiment to look at under-ice algae and the implications for ice-loss on spring algae blooms. This research will also provide hands-on research experience for students, including K-12, undergraduates, and graduate students. This project will advance the understanding of under-ice ecology by leveraging the rich winter limnology datasets of the North Temperate Lakes Long Term Ecological Research (NTL-LTER) site, high-frequency sensors, and the resources of a year-round limnological field station. To address the overarching question of how lake ice loss will impact lake productivity, this project focuses on three questions: is there a seasonal succession of planktonic events under lake ice; what are the major drivers of winter productivity; and how do seasons with less ice, or early-ice off, alter spring phytoplankton blooms? These three questions will be addressed through a combination of long-term data analysis, comparative and experimental studies, and modeling. The seven study lakes are in Northern Wisconsin and have been routinely monitored since 1981. Additionally, a bog lake will be the site of a snow manipulation experiment. This project will produce multiple outcomes, including insight into under-ice community dynamics and productivity, the dynamic nature of chlorophyll and oxygen production under ice, and the role of light availability in under-ice productivity. All of these analyses will further our ability to predict how a future with less lake ice will alter lake ecosystem dynamics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.