Oct 3, 2011

Natural resources seminar

The Friday, Oct. 7 Natural Resources Seminar at Central Lakes College features Peter Jacobson, research supervisor with the Minnesota DNR, talking about "Protecting Cisco Oxythermal Habitat from Climate Change: Building Resilience in Deep Lakes using a Landscape Approach." This is the second in a three-Friday series of free seminars to learn more about the innovative research activities taking place on our lakes and how information is being used to protect these lakes. The event is from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in E 354 of the Brainerd campus. Cisco Coregonus artedi are coldwater stenotherms that are sensitive indicators of ecological stressors that reduce oxythermal habitat, such as climate warming and eutrophication. However, deep lakes with high concentrations of hypolimnetic oxygen may provide a refuge for coldwater fish such as cisco. Potential refuge lakes in Minnesota were identified using a process-oriented, dynamic, one-dimensional year-round lake water quality model by projecting oxythermal habitat under future climate. Water quality protection of these refuge lakes will be critical for maintaining suitable oxythermal habitat for cisco. A landscape approach that protects watersheds from future urbanization and agriculturalization was developed to protect water quality in these systems and maintain the resilience necessary to sustain cisco in at least some Minnesota lakes after climate warming. For information, contact Kent Montgomery of the CLC natural resources faculty, 218-855-8155, kmontgomery@clcmn.edu