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Geology topics

L. E. Holland Bartels

Publications and source records attributed to L. E. Holland Bartels.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Water quality changes and their relation to fishery resources in the upper Mississippi River

Despite a long history of human manipulation, the most dramatic changes in the upper Mississippi River occurred in the 1930s with construction of a lock and dam system to facilitate the commercial transport of commodities. In 1988, barge traffic through the system ranged from 7,500 tows per year at Lock and Dam 26 (near Alton, Illinois) to 1, 118 at Lock and Dam 1 (in Minneapolis/St. Paul). The tow-teed dam system created a diversity of lentic habitats, but it also changed the stage and sediment transport characteristics of the river. The principal fishery-related water quality issues of this modified system concern the effects of sediments and toxic contaminants from nonpoint sources. Between 42 and 99% of the streams in the five states of the Mississippi River basin fail to fully support their designated uses because of pollution. primarily from nonpoint sources (e.g., 73% in Minnesota, 98% in Wisconsin, 75% in Illinois). Annual sediment inputs into the upper Mississippi River basin range from minimal in the upper reaches to about 210.000 kg/hectare in the lower reaches. This sediment results in significant losses of fishery habitat. Although bnly 5 to 9% of the total open water area of many pools had been lost by 1975, those losses were in highly productive side channel and backwater areas. Under existing conditions, a loss of an additional 22 to 49% of existing lentic habitats is predicted within 50 years. In addition, toxic contaminants transported along with fine sediments have become more available to stream biota. Although significant interagency efforts have been made to evaluate the impacts on biotic communities of the river. present data are inadequate to determine how changes in water quality affect the fisheries. This lack of data undermines our ability to judge the success of programs initiated to control pollution from point and nonpoint sources.

Book chapter

Physical factors and their influence on the mussel fauna of a main channel border habitat of the upper Mississippi River

The habitats of mussel species in a portion of the main stem of Navigation Pool 10 of the upper Mississippi River were examined. Population composition, abundance, and sediment and current preferences were measured at 186 sites in the East Channel of the pool. Although total mussel abundance varied significantly as a function of sediment and current (p ≤ 0.05), abundance could be predicted in only 44% of sites by discriminant analysis models. Accurate prediction of abundance for most species also was poor. Species showed little discrimination in choosing main channel habitats, but could be broadly classified into species preferring fine to medium-fine sands (e.g., Truncilla truncata and Potamilus alatus) or coarser sands (e.g., Lampsilis cardium and Truncilla donaciformis). The endangered Lampsilis higginsi was found in a broad range of habitats similar to those occupied by many of the more common species, suggesting factors other than loss of adult habitat for the rarity of this species.

Journal of the North American Benthological Societ

Seasonal reproductive development of Lampsilis cardium, Amblema plicata plicata, and Potamilus alatus

Adult specimens of three species of freshwater mussels common to the upper Mississippi River were examined histologically to determine seasonal patterns of development in gametogenesis and release of glochidia. Full maturation of gonadal materials in Lampsilis cardium (formerly L. ovata ventricosa ), a long-term breeder, occurred when ambient river temperatures reached 24° to 26°C, between late July and early August. By mid-August, glochidia were present in the marsupia. Glochidia were released from late May through mid-June of the following year once water temperatures reached 20°C. The long-term breeder Potamilus alatus demonstrated full gonadal maturation earlier than seen in L. cardium with reproduction completed by late July (26°C). Glochidia of P. alatus were released over a period similar to that observed for L. cardium , late May through early July of the following year. Fully mature Amblema plicata plicata , a short-term breeder, were collected from late May through early July (18° to 21°C). Glochidia were were released from early June to early August of the same year.

Journal of Freshwater Ecology

Effects of water temperature on the mortality of field-collected fish marked with fluorescent pigment

The cumulative effects of collection, handling, and marking with fluorescent pigment on the mortality of adult minnows, young-of-the-year centrarchids, and large centrarchids and percids was determined at five water temperatures (10-20.6 degree C) in field trials. There have been few field trials of this type. The mortality of centrarchids and percids was directly related to temperature and decreased noticeably when the temperature was below 19.5 degree C. The mortality of minnows decreased somewhat as river temperatures cooled but was always at least 50%. Variation was high in the temperature-related patterns of mortality in different taxa and sizes of fish. This variation complicates the accuracy and usefulness of pigment in marking field-collected fish for mark-recapture studies in warmwater systems.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management

Variations in abundance of young-of-the-year channel catfish in a navigation pool of the upper Mississippi River

Spatial and temporal variations in the abundance of young‐of‐the‐year channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were determined over 3 years based on 154 trawls taken from Navigation Pool 7 of the upper Mississippi River. No significant spatial patterns in abundance or length offish in the catch were found in seven poolwide surveys of the main channel. However, high variation among replicates existed. Temporal patterns in abundance and length‐frequency distributions varied among the study years. Seasonal catch curves were similar in 1984 and 1986, although offset due to earlier spawning in 1986. Spawning appeared to have been protracted in both years, based on analyses of back‐calculated dates of spawn and length‐frequency patterns of young. Sixty to seventy percent more young were produced in 1985, when spawning occurred over a shorter period of time and a more uniformly sized year class was produced. These annual variations in year‐class characteristics are hypothesized to have resulted in part from different river discharge patterns in the 3 years of the survey, with high discharge in 1984 and 1986 negatively affecting production of young.

upper Mississippi River

Fish hosts for glochidia of the endangered freshwater mussel Lampsilis higginsi Lea (Bivalvia: Unionidae)

Laboratory tests of nine species of fish as hosts for glochidia of Lampsilis higginsi Lea indicated that four species were fully suitable: largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacepede), smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui Lacepede), walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum Mitchill), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens Mitchill). Juvenile L. higginsi also developed on green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque) but some fish sloughed their infections prematurely.

Malacological Review

Morphology of glochidia of Lampsilis higginsi (Bivalvia: Unionidae) compared with three related species

Glochidia of the endangered unionid mussel Lampsilis higginsi (Lea) are morphologically similar to those of several other species in the upper Mississippi River. Life history details, such as the timing of reproduction and identity of host fish, can be readily studied if the glochidia of L. higginsi can be distinguished from those of related species. Authors used light and scanning electron microscopy and statistical analyses of three shell measurements, shell length, shell height, and hinge length, to compare the glochidia of L. higginsi with those of L. radiata siliquoidea (Barnes), L. ventricosa (Barnes), and Ligumia recta (Lamarck). Glochidia of L. higginsi were differentiated by scanning electron microscopy on the basis of a combined examination of the position of the hinge ligament and the width of dorsal ridges, but were indistinguishable by light microscope examination or by statistical analyses of measurements.

American Malacological Bulletin

Artificial infestation of largemouth bass and walleye with glochidia of Lampsilis ventricosa (Pelecypoda: Unionidae)

The unionid mussel Lampsilis ventricosa is a bundant in the upper Mississippi River and provides a model for studies related to recovery of the endangered Higgins' eye mussel ( Lampsilis higginsi ). We tested the suitability of two species of fish species as hosts for glochidia of L. ventricosa. Laboratory-reared largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and walleyes (Stizostedion vitreum) were artificially infested with the glochidia of L. ventricosa and held separately in two flowthrough tanks for 21 days. Tank bottoms were siphoned daily, and the materials collected were examined for detached glochidia and metamorphosed juveniles. Juveniles were found in both tanks from day 13 post-exposure through day 20, indicating that largemouth bass and walleyes are suitable hosts for the glochidia of L. ventricosa .

Upper Mississippi River