Predicting Productivity Change Resulting from Potential Freshwater Diversions

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dc.acquisition-srcen_US
dc.call-noen_US
dc.contract-noen_US
dc.contributor.authorMontagna, Pen_US
dc.contributor.otherProceedings of the Eighth Biennial State of the Bay Symposium January 23-25, 2007en_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-02-15T16:46:49Z
dc.date.available2010-02-15T16:46:49Z
dc.date.issuedJan. 24, 2007en_US
dc.degreeen_US
dc.description[np]en_US
dc.description-otheren_US
dc.description.abstractThere is a need to predict environmental consequences of when planning water resource development and for adaptive management of operational water systems. Prediction is most powerful when based on mechanistic understanding of how the environment works and how physical drivers effect biological resources. Typically, prediction is created through a modeling exercise, but there are many different modeling approaches and goals. The product of such exercises is just as diverse. One approach that appears to be successful is to model productivity of the communities most affected by freshwater inflow. One example is the lower Colorado River basin, which supports a diverse ecological community that relies heavily on the quality and quantity of water moving through the system. A planned water project has the potential to alter the flow regime for the lower Colorado River and consequently Matagorda Bay; hence, the need to assess the potential impact of these flow regime modifications. In the bay health assessment, the study of benthic indicators is an integral part of determining the potential impacts or benefits on the aquatic resources of Matagorda Bay with and without the project. A bio-energetic model to relate macrobenthic productivity to salinity within and among four Texas estuaries was developed in 1996. A 5-year data set (1990-1995) of macrobenthic biomass, was used to calibrate the model. The benthos were divided into two trophic groups: deposit feeders (that consume detritus or sediment organic matter) and suspension feeders (that filter phytoplankton or graze on benthic diatoms). Simulations using this calibration show that the period between 1996 and 2000 validated the model. After 2001, blue crab populations crashed releasing benthos from predation pressure and the model predicts higher benthic productivity than found. The results of the simulations demonstrate that suspension feeders are good indicators of the importance of freshwater inflow on maintaining secondary production and they decline with increased salinity. However, deposit feeders increase productivity with increasing salinity. Although predicted total productivity does not change with freshwater diversions and increasing salinity, community composition and feeding guild structure does change.en_US
dc.description.urien_US
dc.geo-codeColorado Riveren_US
dc.geo-codeMatagorda Bayen_US
dc.history1-21-09 kswen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/18633
dc.latitudeen_US
dc.locationNot available in house - Please contact GBIC for assistanceen_US
dc.longitudeen_US
dc.notesen_US
dc.placeen_US
dc.publisherGalveston Bay Estuary Programen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries10148.00en_US
dc.relation.urihttp://gbic.tamug.edu/gbeppubs/sobviii/sobviii_rpr.htm#Montagnaen_US
dc.scaleen_US
dc.seriesen_US
dc.subjectflow modificationen_US
dc.subjectmacrobenthic biomassen_US
dc.subjectmacrobenthic productivityen_US
dc.subjectmodelsen_US
dc.subjectpredictionen_US
dc.subjectsalinityen_US
dc.subjectsimulationsen_US
dc.subjectwater resource developmenten_US
dc.subjectwater systemsen_US
dc.titlePredicting Productivity Change Resulting from Potential Freshwater Diversionsen_US
dc.typeCONFen_US
dc.universityen_US
dc.vol-issueen_US

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