Geology topics

Research about Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2021

Carcass deposition to suppress invasive lake trout causes differential mortality of two common benthic invertebrates in Yellowstone Lake

Invasive species require management to mitigate their harmful effects on native biodiversity and ecosystem processes. However, such management can also have negative, unintended consequences on non-target taxa, ecosystem processes, and food web dynamics. In Yellowstone Lake, invasive lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) have caused a decline in the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri ) population. To suppress the invader, lake trout carcasses are deposited on the species’ spawning sites, causing embryo mortality by reducing dissolved oxygen as they decay. The non-target effects of carcass treatment are unknown, but benthic invertebrates may be sensitive to reductions in dissolved oxygen. Benthic invertebrate taxa have varying hypoxia tolerances; caddisflies ( Trichoptera , family Limnephilidae ) are hypoxia sensitive while amphipods Gammarus lacustris and Hyallela azteca are hypoxia tolerant. Both are widespread and abundant in Yellowstone Lake and comprise a large proportion of fish diets, so changes in their abundances could alter food web dynamics. We conducted an in situ experiment to determine if carcass deposition causes mortality in these two taxa of benthic invertebrates. The probability of mortality for caddisflies was 3.15 times higher in carcass treatments as compared to controls, while amphipod mortality did not change in response to carcass treatment. Amphipods, which contribute most significantly to fish diets, are unlikely to be reduced in response to carcass deposition, which is confined to a small fraction of the lake where lake trout spawn, limiting the possibility for lake-wide effects. We conclude that carcass deposition is unlikely to alter the availability of invertebrates as a food source for fish in Yellowstone Lake.

Wyoming↗

USGS2021

Could ecological release buffer suppression efforts for non-native lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park, USA, has the longest ongoing suppression program for non-native lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) in the western USA. Harvest data from the suppression program, along with data from an assessment program initiated in 2011, was used to estimate lake trout abundance and mortality rates. Abundance and biomass estimates were used to estimate stock–recruitment dynamics, which were inputs to a simulation model forecasting responses to continued suppression. Abundance increased during 1998–2012 when total annual mortality exceeded 0.59 and declined thereafter. The fishing mortality rate required to reduce abundance was 67% greater than predicted by models that used prerecruit survival estimates from the lake trout’s native range. Prerecruit survival in Yellowstone Lake was estimated at four to six times greater than native range survival rates. Simulated abundance continued to decline if recent suppression efforts were maintained. High prerecruit survival in Yellowstone Lake likely illustrates ecological release for an invasive species in an ecosystem containing few predators or competitors and demonstrates the potential pitfalls of assuming equal demographic rates for native and non-native populations.

Wyoming↗

USGS2020

Targeting aggregations of telemetered Lake Trout to increase gillnetting suppression efficacy

Conserving Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri by suppressing invasive Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush in Yellowstone Lake is a high priority for Yellowstone National Park resource managers. Here, we tested whether targeting telemetered Lake Trout could increase the efficacy of Lake Trout suppression by gill netting. Mobile acoustic tracking surveys were performed to identify aggregations of tagged Lake Trout in summer (June–August) 2017. Lake Trout aggregations were relayed daily to suppression crews by phone, radio, or text and a printed map. Suppression crews set 30 large-mesh gill nets targeting telemetered Lake Trout aggregations (target treatment) and 124 large-mesh gill nets not targeting telemetered aggregations (nontarget treatment). Mean log e (CPUE) was higher for the target treatment (0.37; 95% credible interval [CRI] = 0.08–0.65) than for the nontarget treatment (−0.37; 95% CRI = −0.51 to −0.21). Mean of the target treatment was higher than the mean of the nontarget treatment for over 99% of the 1,000 draws from the joint posterior distribution. Because of telemetry costs, mean CPUE per US$10,000 spent was similar between the target treatment (0.20; 95% CRI = 0.15–0.26) and the nontarget treatment (0.15; 95% CRI = 0.13–0.17). Telemetry is an effective strategy for improving Lake Trout CPUE, which corresponds to an increased efficiency in the Lake Trout suppression program.

Wyoming↗

USGS2016

Feeding ecology of native and nonnative salmonids during the expansion of a nonnative apex predator in Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park

The illegal introduction of Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush into Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, preceded the collapse of the native population of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri , producing a four-level trophic cascade. The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout population’s collapse and the coinciding increase in Lake Trout abundance provided a rare opportunity to evaluate the feeding ecology of a native prey species and a nonnative piscivore species after the restructuring of a large lentic ecosystem. We assessed diets, stable isotope signatures, and depth-related CPUE patterns for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout during 2011–2013 to evaluate trophic overlap. To evaluate diet shifts related to density, we also compared 2011–2013 diets to those from studies conducted during previous periods with contrasting Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout CPUEs. We illustrate the complex interactions between predator and prey in a simple assemblage and demonstrate how a nonnative apex predator can alter competitive interactions. The diets of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout were dominated by zooplankton during a period when the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout CPUE was high and were dominated by amphipods when the CPUE was reduced. Lake Trout shifted from a diet that was dominated by Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout during the early stages of the invasion to a diet that was dominated by amphipods after Lake Trout abundance had increased and after Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout prey had declined. The shifts in Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Lake Trout diets resulted in increased trophic similarity of these species through time due to their shared reliance on benthic amphipods. Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout not only face the threat posed by Lake Trout predation but also face the potential threat of competition with Lake Trout if amphipods are limiting. Our results demonstrate the importance of studying the long-term feeding ecology of fishes in invaded ecosystems.

Wyoming↗

USGS2003

Hydrothermal and tectonic activity in northern Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming

Yellowstone National Park is the site of one of the world's largest calderas. The abundance of geothermal and tectonic activity in and around the caldera, including historic uplift and subsidence, makes it necessary to understand active geologic processes and their associated hazards. To that end, we here use an extensive grid of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles (∼450 km) to document hydrothermal and tectonic features and deposits in northern Yellowstone Lake. Sublacustrine geothermal features in northern Yellowstone Lake include two of the largest known hydrothermal explosion craters, Mary Bay and Elliott's. Mary Bay explosion breccia is distributed uniformly around the crater, whereas Elliott's crater breccia has an asymmetric distribution and forms a distinctive, ∼2-km-long, hummocky lobe on the lake floor. Hydrothermal vents and low-relief domes are abundant on the lake floor; their greatest abundance is in and near explosion craters and along linear fissures. Domed areas on the lake floor that are relatively unbreached (by vents) are considered the most likely sites of future large hydrothermal explosions. Four submerged shoreline terraces along the margins of northern Yellowstone Lake add to the Holocene record of postglacial lake-level fluctuations attributed to “heavy breathing” of the Yellowstone magma reservoir and associated geothermal system. The Lake Hotel fault cuts through northwestern Yellowstone Lake and represents part of a 25-km-long distributed extensional deformation zone. Three postglacial ruptures indicate a slip rate of ∼0.27 to 0.34 mm/yr. The largest (3.0 m slip) and most recent event occurred in the past ∼2100 yr. Although high heat flow in the crust limits the rupture area of this fault zone, future earthquakes of magnitude ∼5.3 to 6.5 are possible. Earthquakes and hydrothermal explosions have probably triggered landslides, common features around the lake margins. Few high-resolution seismic reflection surveys have been conducted in lakes in active volcanic areas. Our data reveal active geothermal features with unprecedented resolution and provide important analogues for recognition of comparable features and potential hazards in other subaqueous geothermal environments.

Wyoming↗