The invasive macrophyte Nitellopsis obtusa may facilitate the invasive mussel Dreissena polymorpha and Microcystis blooms in a large, shallow lake

Abstract

This study was conducted in Lake Scugog, a large, shallow reservoir in Ontario, Canada. Historically, Lake Scugog has been a macrophyte-dominated ecosystem with a productive fishery. In recent years, periodic Microcystis blooms have erupted coinciding with the discovery of the non-native macroalga Nitellopsis obtusa in the lake. From 2016 to 2018, we conducted field surveys to assess the physical, chemical, and biological conditions across 12 sites spanning the lake. All study species (N. obtusa, Dreissena polymorpha, and Microcystis spp.) increased from 2016 to 2018. To determine potential biotic and abiotic drivers of Microcystis blooms, we used a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. The SEM (r2 = 0.27, p < 0.05) revealed several positive (precipitation, chloride, depth, and N. obtusa) and negative (total nitrogen) explanatory variables for Microcystis biomass. The only statistically significant biotic driver was N. obtusa, which was a positive explanatory variable for both D. polymorpha and Microcystis. Future work will test the efficacy of the SEM model across Ontario lakes to confirm the facilitative role of N. obtusa on D. polymorpha and Microcystis populations.