The science for environmental solutions Winter 2017 NORTH AMERICA'S LAKES ARE GETTING SALTIER by Lori M. Quillen North America's freshwater lakes are getting saltier. The culprits: development and road salt. So reports an extensive study of 371 lakes conducted by a team of researchers in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) Graduate Student Fellowship Program, an initiative led by Cary Institute scientist Kathleen Weathers. Each year, some 23 million metric tons of road salt are applied to North America's roads to melt away snow and ice. Much of this road salt washes into nearby water bodies, where it is recognized as a major source of chloride pollution to groundwater, streams, rivers, and lakes. The study is the first large-scale analysis of chloride trends in freshwater lakes. Results reveal that many Midwestern and Northeastern lakes are experiencing increasing chloride levels, with some 44% of lakes sampled in these regions undergoing long-term salinization. Hilary Dugan, now a limnologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was lead author on the project during her tenure as a Cary Institute Postdoctoral Fellow. She explains, "We were interested in revealing whether, how, and why salinization is changing across North America. The picture is sobering. For lakes, even small amounts of shoreline development translate into big salinization risks." In lakes, elevated chloride levels can alter the composition of fish, invertebrates, and the plankton that form the base of the aquatic food web. In extreme cases, salinization can prevent water in lakes from mixing - causing low oxygen conditions that smother aquatic life and reduce water quality. Thirteen GLEON Fellows took part in the study. They compiled long-term data to identify trends in chloride concentrations in North American lakes and reservoirs, then related these trends to climate and land use changes. Most of the lakes are in the North American Lakes Region, which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ontario, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. To gauge road salt exposure, the team assessed road density and land cover within a 100- to 1500-meter buffer around each of the study lakes. Roads, parking lots, and sidewalks are reliable proxies for road salt application because they are susceptible to high levels of salting and runoff. Results were clear: roads within 500 meters of a lake's shoreline were a strong Roads within 500 meters of a lake's shoreline are a recipe for salinization. predictor of rising salinity. In the North American Lakes Region, 70% of lakes with more than 1% impervious land cover in their 500-meter buffer zone had increasing chloride trends. Extrapolated to all lakes in the North American Lakes Region, some 7,770 lakes may be at risk of rising salinity. Even more sobering, these results likely underestimate the problem. Many regions with heavy road salt use, such as Quebec or the Maritime Provinces of Canada, had no long-term lake data available. It is also difficult to obtain rates of road salt application. Weathers concludes, "In the North American Lakes Region - where road salt is a reality - roads and other impervious surfaces within 500 meters of a lake's shoreline are a recipe for salinization. We need to manage and monitor lakes to ensure they are kept 'fresh' and protect the myriad of services they provide, from fisheries and recreation to drinking water supplies." HIGHLIGHTS * From the President's Desk 9 • Wildebeost Feed the Mara ^ • River * Spotlights • Where We Work: • Cary Teams with IBM fa * Aldo Leopold Society 7 l Support Cary Institute CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES 2 ECOfOCUS Ecofocus is published by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Our scientists are leading efforts to understand human impacts on air and water quality, climate change, invasive species, and the ecological dimensions of infectious disease. As an independent, not-for-profit organization, the Cary Institute produces unbiased research that leads to more effective management and policy decisions. PRESIDENT Joshua R. Ginsberg, Ph.D. WRITER & EDITOR: Lori M. Quillen WRITER: Erin A. Frick PRODUCTION: Pamela A. Freeman Address newsletter correspondence to: Communications Office Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies P.O. Box AB Millbrook, NY 12545 E-mail: QuillenL@caryinstitute.org BOARD OF TRUSTEES Scott J. Ulm, Chair Steven M. Benardete, Vice Chair Edward A. Ames, Secretary Sarah A. Gillman, Treasurer Joshua R. Ginsberg, Ph.D., President^ Irene W. Banning Frances Beinecke Timothy Bontecou Hugo Cassirer J. Barclay Collins Elizabeth R. Hilpman Soohyung Kim Bruce W. Ling Gretchen Long^ Thomas E. Lovejoy, Ph.D. Christopher J. McKenzie Eric W. Roberts Ralph C. Schmidt Martin L. Senzel Allan P. Shope Serena H. Whitridge James Williams *Past Chair and Honorary Trustee ♦ Ex Officio FROM OUR PRESIDENT Our staff are on the frontlines of understanding and protecting freshwater resources. Dear Friends: It is an exciting time at the Cary Institute. Our strategic plan is in full implementation, and we are hiring staff and making plans to modernize our facilities. New scientists will strengthen our world-class research program, and investments in conference space, labs, and technology will enable us to continue advancing the science needed for environmental solutions. Government funding for science remains uncertain and highly competitive. With that in mind, it gives me great pride to report that our scientists have recently secured four major National Science Foundation grants for their work on disease forecasting, sustainable fisheries, urban ecology, and global lake research. Together, these grants represent more than 5 million dollars in funding for our work; their results will benefit conservation, public health, and Baltimore City Public Schools. Congratulations are in order to Barbara Han, Christopher Solomon, Kathleen Weathers, and Alan Berkowitz. Learn more on page 4. The feature stories in this newsletter highlight the global nature of our freshwater research. From our quiet co-leadership of the Global Lakes Ecological Observatory Network and its efforts in tracking rising salinity in North America's lakes, to an ongoing partnership with Yale University that is revealing how wildebeest migrations shape the ecology of the Mara River in Kenya, our staff are on the frontlines of understanding and protecting freshwater resources. They are also instrumental in training the next generation of freshwater managers. Please join me in welcoming two new faces to the Cary Community. Catherine Forbes will help bridge and amplify our development and communication efforts as our new Senior Director of Advancement, and urban ecologist Timon McPherson joins the scientific staff as our second Research Fellow, splitting his time between his home appointment at the New School and the halls of the Cary Institute. Thanks for your interest in all that we do, Dr. Joshua R. Ginsberg, Ph.D. WINTER 2017 RESEARCH UPDATE WILDEBEEST FEED THE MARA RIVER by Lori M. Quillen David Post Africa's Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is home to one of the largest overland animal migrations in the world. Each year, more than a million wildebeest journey between Tanzania and Kenya in search of food and water. When attempting to cross the Kenyan reach of the Mara River, thousands drown. While this picture sounds bleak, a recent study by Cary Institute researchers reveals that what's bad for the wildebeest is good for the Mara River ecosystem. Globally, migratory herds like bison, quagga, and springbok are disappearing. The Mara River is one of the last places left on Earth to study how large animal migrations influence river health. Since 2010, Cary Institute scientist Emma Rosi has been working to understand how wildebeest move nutrients into the Mara River, and what this means for river life and water quality. Drawing on five years of fieldwork and a decade of historical reports, Rosi and colleagues determined that some 6,200 wildebeest drown in the Mara annually. Rosi explains, "This is the equivalent of adding ten blue whale carcasses to the moderately-sized river each year. It's a massive infusion of nutrients that feeds everything from scavengers and fish to algae." To trace the ecological fate of wildebeest carcasses, the team modeled consumption by fish and Nile crocodiles, scavenging by birds, nutrient uptake, and downstream transport. Camera traps were used to monitor scavengers, while stable isotope analyses revealed the percentage of wildebeest-derived nutrients in common fish and biofilm (a mix of bacteria, fungi, and algae). Cary Postdoctoral Associate Amanda Subalusky was the lead author on a recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. She notes, "Mass drownings present a striking picture. Rotting animal flesh spikes the aquatic ecosystem with nutrients. Once carcasses disappear, bones feed the river for nearly a decade, acting as a long-term source of phosphorus." What's bad for the wildebeast is good for the Mara River. When wildebeest carcasses were present in the river, they comprised up to 50% of the diet of common fish. Marabou storks, white-backed vultures, RiippelTs vultures, and hooded vultures were the most frequent scavengers, consuming up to 9% of soft tissues. Biofilms on wildebeest bones comprised up to 24% of the diet of three common fish species months after drowning events. Due to low metabolic rates, Nile crocodiles were estimated to eat just 2% of carcasses. The team is currently exploring downstream impacts on water quality; the Mara River is the primary source of freshwater in the region. They are also committed to educating Kenyan land managers and ecologists. This August, they held a course on large river biogeochemistry with more than 20 participants from four universities in attendance. CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES SPOTLIGHTS STAFF NOTES AND DISTINCTIONS Jonathan Bickerstaff has joined the Cary Institute as Lab Technician I. Catherine Forbes has joined the Cary Institute as Senior Director of Advancement. Erin Frick has joined the Communications Program as Communications Assistant/ Writer. Marissa Matsler has joined Scientists Emma Rosi and Peter Groffman as Postdoctoral Research Ecologist. Timon McPhearson has joined the scientific staff as a Research Fellow. Nicole Dwyer has joined the Office of Grants Administration as Grants Specialist. Maribeth Rubenstein has joined the Cary Institute as Assistant to the Scientific Staff - LTER. Amanda Suchy has joined Scientist Peter Groffman as Postdoctoral Research Ecologist. Julie Weitzman has joined Scientist Peter Groffman as Postdoctoral Research Ecologist. The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is an Equal Opportunity/Affinnative Action Employer; minorities/femaies/vets/disabled are encouraged to apply. Please visit our website at www.caryinstitute/who-we-are/jobs for employment opportunities. The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds work at the frontiers of science. Proposals selected for funding must pass a rigorous and objective merit-review system. We are thrilled to congratulate four Cary scientists on their recent receipt of NSF awards. GROWING GLEON The Global Lakes Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) links data collected on 120 lakes in 51 countries to understand, predict, and communicate the response of lakes to environmental change. This award will help expand GLEON's research program and impact, headed by ecosystem ecologist Kathleen Weathers. (Award: $500k) FORECASTING EPIDEMICS Each year, over a billion cases of human illness are attributed to zoonotic diseases - those transmitted from animals to people. Barbara Han maps patterns of disease emergence to forecast where and when the next outbreak could occur. Han aims to advance disease forecasting as a tool for pandemic prevention. (Award: $2m) MAINTAINING SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES Aquatic ecologist Christopher Solomon will co-lead a four-year study of thousands of lakes in northern Wisconsin to understand how ecological and social processes shape recreational fishery landscapes. This understanding is crucial to sustaining good fishing conditions for the citizens of lake regions - today and in the future. (Award: $1.5m) BES SCIENCE IN BALTIMORE SCHOOLS The Baltimore Ecosystem Study is partnering with Baltimore City Public Schools to transform the high school chemistry curriculum. The innovative new approach, led by Cary Head of Education Alan Berkowitz, draws on data gathered by the Baltimore Ecosystem Study to convey how chemistry shapes the local environment. (Award: $1.2m) Bess Caplan Nadia Facciola WINTER 2017 WHERE WE WORK CITIZEN SCIENCE, RANGE MAPS, & CONSERVATION by Erin A. Frick Effective conservation begins with a keen understanding of where species live and what environmental conditions they need to survive. Using new modeling techniques fueled by citizen science, Vijay Ramesh and colleagues have developed a data- driven method to accurately map where species live so that these areas, and the species within them, can be protected. Recently, they applied their technique - which incorporates information on climate, land cover, and recorded citizen sightings - to an analysis of 18 bird species in the Western Ghats, a mountainous biodiversity hotspot in southern India that is threatened by widespread development. They found that 17 of the 18 species were under-protected and inhabited ranges significantly smaller than those identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). IUCN range maps are frequently used when setting international conservation goals. These maps, produced by BirdLife International, are often hand-drawn, based on expert sightings and historical records. Ramesh's findings reveal weaknesses in this method, which tends to inflate ranges by including unsuitable habitat. eBird, the international online birding checklist app, was at the heart of the improved range maps. In the Western Ghats, over a million citizen scientists have been using eBird to document their bird encounters. This dataset, verified by eBird regional reviewers, provides invaluable information about where birds actually live. These findings highlight the critical importance of adopting methods to map species occurrence that use all available data - including observations from citizen scientists - to ensure species' survival. Ramesh, who led this study while working as a spatial and computational ecologist at the Cary Institute, is currently pursuing his PhD at Columbia University. GREENING CHARM CITY The Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) is a National Science Foundation Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network site directed by Cary's Emma Rosi. The study brings together ecologists, social scientists, planners, and educators working to understand metropolitan Baltimore as an ecological system. Their findings guide sustainable urban practices, with an eye towards improving environmental and public health. This October, 122 BES collaborators convened in Baltimore for the BES Annual Meeting. Twenty-seven talks and 10 posters showcased the full spectrum of BES activity. Cary highlights included: • Disease ecologist Shannon LaDeau on urbanization, poverty, and mosquito-borne disease. • Head of Education Alan Berkowitz on a new NSF-funded initiative integrating BES science into high school chemistry classes throughout Baltimore City Public Schools. Berkowitz was honored with the 2017 Director's Award for his contributions to BES. • Ecology Education Program Leader Bess Caplan on 'Comp-Hydro Baltimore', an innovative approach to teaching students about surface water systems in Baltimore. • Microbial ecologist Peter Groffman on the homogenization of urban landscapes throughout the US and Baltimore's place within this trend. • Urban community ecologist Timon McPhearson on modeling future scenarios of heat in New York City and implications for vulnerable populations - work which will be applied to Baltimore. In advance of the BES Annual Meeting, a press briefing was held in a residential west Baltimore neighborhood. A team of BES experts, including Cary's Heather Goodman, spoke about their work on the ecological, social, and public health impacts of Baltimore's vacant lots and abandoned housing stock. Following the meeting, BES partner, the Parks & People Foundation, hosted an open house focused on citizen science, where Shannon LaDeau showcased her mosquito traps and discussed Baltimore residents' role in mosquito monitoring. Jonathan Walsh CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES ALDO LEOPOLD SOCIETY Dear Members of the Aldo Leopold Society, I am honored to be the newest member of Cary's Development and Communications teams. I have been visiting Cary's property for years and find it all the more awe-inspiring now that I am learning about the science taking place here. Thank you to all the donors that attended the spring and fall luncheons this year. It was a pleasure to meet you at those events. I look forward to meeting and working with all our donors. Cary would not be on the cutting edge of ecosystem studies without your support. And thank you especially to those of you who have made a gift to the Cary Institute in your estate. I hope you will reach out to me so I can thank you personally and tell you about the new Mary Flagler Cary Legacy Society. Best, Catherine Forbes Sr. Director of Advancement forbesc@caryinstitute.org (845) 677-7600 x262 _g