Forest-Lake links: pollen

There were wonderful yellow-green creations by the shore on Dollar Lake where I spent Canada Day as illustrated in a few photos. I wondered whether pollen is a significant input to aquatic systems, ‘made a post on Twitter about it, and got this reference back from Linda Campbell, an aquatic specialist at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax: Coupling of boreal forests and lakes: Effects of conifer pollen on littoral communities by Mark D. Graham et al. in Limnology and Oceanography Issue 3 May 2006 Pages 1524–1529. Abstract
| Full article (PDF) It seems there have not been a lot of studies on this topic. These authors concluded that inputs from pollen contribute significantly to nutrients and promote production in small boreal lakes. ‘Makes me wonder: what is the impact of clearcut forestry on such pollen inputs?

Pollen in water of Dollar Lake, July 1, 2016

View from below, Dollar lake, July 1, 2016

Dollar Lake has a lot of old growth forest bordering its shores in sharp contrast to the vast clearcut forests or remnants of them all along the Old Guysborough Road from the turnoff near the airport to Dollar Lake. A couple of Google earth Images below illustrate the contrast.

Across the road lies Buckley Lake, surrounded by clearcuts, all neatly done and according to regulation I’m sure, perhaps even a cut above. The minimum vegetated buffer around the lake is 28 m while regulations call for a minimum of only 20 m. But there is something very disquieting about the image. I think about the massive runoff on the slopes down to the lake that must occurs during heavy rains for example, the loss of habitat for wildlife, and accelerated loss of carbon and nutrients from soils.