A modeling study of benthic detritus flux's impacts on heterotrophic processes in Lake Michigan

Authors

• Changsheng Chen, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
• Lixia Wang, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
• Jianhua Qi, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
• Hedong Liu, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
• Judith Wells Budd, Michigan Technological University
• David J. Schwab, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
• Dmitry Beletsky, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Henry Vanderploeg, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
• Brian Eadie, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
• Thomas Johengen, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
• James Cotner, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Peter J. Lavrentyev, University of Akron

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2004

Department

Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

Abstract

Effects of sediment resuspension-induced benthic detrital flux on the heterotrophic part of the microbial food web in Lake Michigan were examined using a three-dimensional (3-D) coupled biological and physical model. The model was driven by the realistic meteorological forcing observed in March 1999. Wind-induced surface wave dynamics were incorporated into the physical model to generate the bottom flux. The model-generated benthic detrital fiux was assumed to be proportional to the difference between model-calculated and critical stresses at the bottom. The model results indicate that detrital flux at the bottom was a key factor causing a significant increase of phosphorus and detritus concentrations in the nearshore region of the springtime plume. Inside the plume the sediment-resuspended bottom detritus flux could directly enhance heterotrophic production, while outside the plume, detrital flux from river discharge might have a direct contribution to the high abundance of bacteria and microzooplankton in the nearshore region. Mo&l-data comparison on cross-shore transects near Chicago, Gary, St. Joseph, and Racine suggests that other physical and biological processes may play a comparative role as the bottom detritus flux in terms of the spatial distribution of bacteria and microzoplankton. A more complete microbial food web model needs to be developed to simulate the hetereotrophic process in southern Lake Michigan.

Publication Title

Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans

Recommended Citation

Chen, C., Wang, L., Qi, J., Liu, H., Budd, J., Schwab, D., Beletsky, D., Vanderploeg, H., Eadie, B., Johengen, T., Cotner, J., & Lavrentyev, P. (2004). A modeling study of benthic detritus flux's impacts on heterotrophic processes in Lake Michigan. Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans, 109(C10). http://doi.org/10.1029/2002JC001689
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/8284