Award Date
1-1-2006
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Environmental Science
First Committee Member
Shawn Gerstenberger
Number of Pages
101
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine and identify the factors that have influenced changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton assemblages during the initial thirteen years of ecological development of Lake Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. Univariate and multivariate statistical methods were used to determine the level of influence lake water chemistry, lake physical characteristics and planktonic groups will have on overall plankton community dynamics. Water quality and plankton population data have been collected since 1991 when the lake began filling through the period of study ending December, 2003; Results indicate the zooplankton biomass was most influenced by conductance, total dissolved solids, water temperature, chlorophyll alpha and pH. Phytoplankton biomass was most related to TN, nitrogen: P ratio, total dissolved solids, conductivity and water temperature. During the first thirteen years external influences have caused the reservoir plankton populations to change annually due to random disturbances.
Keywords
Desert; Factors; Influencing; Lake; Made; Man; Man-made Lake; Plankton; Populations; Plankton
Controlled Subject
Limnology; Microbiology
File Format
File Size
3051.52 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Permissions
If you are the rightful copyright holder of this dissertation or thesis and wish to have the full text removed from Digital Scholarship@UNLV, please submit a request to digitalscholarship@unlv.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.
Repository Citation
Weber, Steven, "Influencing factors on plankton populations in a desert man -made lake" (2006). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 2710.
http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/tpkf-h52h
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
