Download Contaminants

What is an
Ecosystem and Why
is it Important:
A Socio-Economic
Perspective
Jeffrey M. Reutter, Ph.D.
Director
• 1895—F.T. Stone Laboratory
• 1970—Center for Lake Erie Area Research
(CLEAR)
• 1977-78—Ohio Sea Grant College Program
• 1992—Great Lakes Aquatic Ecosystem
Research Consortium (GLAERC)
• [email protected]
• 614-292-8949; fax 614-292-4364
• www.sg.ohio-state.edu
Gibraltar Island
Village of
Put-in-Bay
On South
Bass Island
Stone Laboratory
Gibraltar Island
Commom Definitions—1
• Biology = the science of life
• Ecology = science of interrelationships
between living organizms and their
environment
• Populations = groups of the same kind of
organisms (species)
• Community (or biotic community) = all of
the “populations” occupying a given area
Commom Definitions—2
• Major community = of sufficient size
and completeness to be relatively
independent of adjoining
communities
• Ecosystem = the community (biotic)
and non-living (abiotic) physical
environment function as an
“ecological system” or ecosystem
Ecosystem Management
• Manipulation of the populations and
the abiotic environment to achieve a
desired outcome
• Sometimes difficult to determine
appropriate boundaries for the
ecosystem, i.e. the more independent
it is of adjoining systems, the better.
Otherwise, we have to be able to
manage the inputs and outputs
between adjoining system.
Challenges
• Biology/life history of each species
– Needs throughout life cycle
– Range of travel/movement, i.e. how big
is ecosystem
• Interactions between species
– Native and AIS
• Impact of environmental alterations
• Impact of our land-based activities
on aquatic environment
As a Result, Lake Erie Gets:
• More sediment
• More nutrients (fertilizers and
sewage)
• More pesticides
• And is still biologically the most
productive of the Great Lakes
Possible to get too
much of a good thing,
i.e. too many nutrients
“I heard Lake Erie is the
place fish go to die.”
--Johnny Carson, 1976
Blue-green Algae Bloom
~1965-1970, Lake Erie
Lake Erie Cross Section
Managing the Lake Erie
Ecosystem
• Reduce phos loading from 29,000 to
11,000 tons
– Walleye harvest 112,000 to 5 million
– Econ value of walleye fishery $650 mil
– Charter businesses: 34 to over 1,200
– Coastal related businesses: 207 to >425
– Are stocks discrete between basins:
should each basin be managed alone
Boating Impact
• $1.4 billion on Ohio’s economy
• ~ 400,000 registered boaters
• 1 job for every 19 boats
Zebra Mussel vs Quagga Mussel
Byssal Threads
ANS/ZM History
• 1985-86—ZM arrives in Lake St. Clair
• Not new—over 180 species have invaded
the Great Lakes, and 2/3 since St.
Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959.
• 15 Oct. 1988 First ZM found at Stone
Laboratory
• 15 Nov. 1988 First Sea Grant research
project initiated
• 15 Oct. 1989 ZM densities in western
basin of Lake Erie reach 30,000/sq. meter
1974—Before Zebra
Mussels
1994—After Zebra Mussels
Zebra Mussel Impacts
• Walleye population about 1/3 of
previous levels and economic value
falls to $250 mil
• Fishing effort reduced
– Less licenses sold
– Less boats sold
• Water clarity improves
• HABs return
Round Goby
Round Goby Impact
• Eat zebra mussels
• Bioaccumulate PCBs
• Transfer contaminants to SMBass (levels
up without greater loading, i.e. importance
of changes to trophic structure or
ecosystem)
• Nuisance to anglers
• Eat SMBass eggs and fry
• Out compete native sculpins
Closing Thoughts
• Don’t understand current Phos
changes
• Can enhance economic value by
increasing habitat diversity—artificial
reefs
– 12-66 times more fish
– Pay for themselves 2.75 times/yr