Dr. Jim Hood presented in the Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources seminar series on March 2. His talk touched on the threats faced by aquatic ecosystems and the services they provide, emphasizing the importance of understanding the interactions between the ecosystems and the multiple stressors they face. He was hosted by former AEL postdoc, Paris Collingsworth. 

Talk Title:

50 Years of Ecosystem Change in Lake Erie: Interactions Among Climate, Phosphorus & Land Use Practices

Abstract:

The ecosystem services provided by aquatic ecosystems are under threat from multiple aspects of human-driven environmental change including climate change, eutrophication, and invasive species. Understanding how these stressors shape ecosystems requires an understanding of how their interactions influence populations, communities, and ecosystem processes. One excellent location to study these interactions is the western basin of Lake Erie, which has a long history of environmental monitoring and has been strongly influenced by eutrophication, climate change, and invasive species. I will discuss research exploring these interactions in two vignettes. The first focuses on how climate change, invasive species, and eutrophication have influenced communities and food webs in the western basin of Lake Erie. The second focuses on watershed-scale linkages among agricultural best management practices, river phosphorus cycling, and harmful algal blooms.