Browsing by Author "JoAnn Burkholder, Committee Chair"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Long-term Impacts of Changing Land-use Practices on Water Quality and Phytoplankton Assemblages in the Neuse Estuary Ecosystem, North Carolina
    (2007-11-13) Rothenberger, Megan Beth; Thomas Wentworth, Committee Member; Cavell Brownie, Committee Member; JoAnn Burkholder, Committee Chair; Dave DeMaster, Committee Member
    The goal of this research was to build upon present understanding of the eutrophication process in the Neuse Estuary ecosystem by evaluating linkages among land use practices, nutrient concentrations and ratios, and phytoplankton assemblage composition. First, geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis was used to characterize 26 sub-basins throughout the Neuse watershed for changes in land use over the past decade. GIS was also used in concert with multivariate statistics to synthesize and integrate ten years of land cover and water quality data into a conceptual model. Second, a continuous, decadal record of the phytoplankton in the mesohaline Neuse Estuary, in conjunction with synoptic measurement of environmental variables, provided a unique opportunity to evaluate responses of the phytoplankton assemblages to changing environmental conditions. Ordination techniques were used to investigate potential environmental predictors of phytoplankton community patterns through the process of eutrophication. Analyses indicated that over the past 10 years, total phosphorus concentrations were significantly higher during summer months in sub-watersheds with high densities of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and confined swine feed operations. Nitrate concentrations were significantly higher during winter in sub-watersheds with high WWTP densities, and both inorganic and organic forms of nitrogen were significantly higher in sub-watersheds with greater agricultural land use. Ammonium concentrations were significantly higher after high-precipitation periods, but were not significantly correlated with the land-use parameters included in this study. In the Neuse Estuary, among several important findings, abundance of the potentially toxic, bloom-forming dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum was positively related to low water temperatures (winter⁄spring) and organic nitrogen and suspended solids concentrations. In addition, abundance of other potentially toxic flagellated algae such as the raphidophyte, Heterosigma akashiwo, has increased over the past decade, and H. akashiwo was found to be an "indicator species" for high ammonium concentrations (> 50 μg⁄L). Overall, the data indicate that wastewater discharges in the upper Neuse basin and intensive swine agriculture in the lower basin have been the highest contributors of nitrogen and phosphorus to receiving surface waters. In the estuary, increased nutrients, especially ammonium, are promoting increased abundance of several potentially toxic, bloom-forming phytoplankton species.