Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) Mercury Unaffected by Wildland Fires in Northern Minnesota
Abstract
Wildland fire can alter mercury (Hg) cycling on land and in adjacent aquatic environments. In addition to enhancing local atmospheric Hg redeposition, fire can influence terrestrial movement of Hg and other elements into lakes via runoff from burned upland soil. However, the impact of fire on water quality and the accumulation of Hg in fish remain equivocal. We investigated the effects of fire—specifically, a low‐severity prescribed fire and moderate‐severity wildfire—on young‐of‐the‐year yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and lake chemistry in a small remote watershed in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota. We used a paired watershed approach: the fire‐affected watershed was compared with an adjacent, unimpacted (reference) watershed. Prior to fire, upland organic horizons in the two study watersheds contained 1549 μg Hg m−2 on average. Despite a 19% decrease in upland organic horizon Hg stocks due to the moderate severity wildfire fire, fish Hg accumulation and lake productivity were not affected by fire in subsequent years. Instead, climate and lake water levels were the strongest predictors of lake chemistry and fish responses in our study lakes over 9 yr. Our results suggest that low‐ to moderate‐severity wildland fire does not alter lake productivity or Hg accumulation in young‐of‐the‐year yellow perch in these small, shallow lakes in the northern deciduous and boreal forest region. Core Ideas The study investigated wildland fire impact on fish mercury and lake chemistry. A paired watershed approach was used in the investigation. Wildland fire decreased upland organic soil carbon and mercury stocks. There was no impact of wildland fire on fish mercury or lake productivity. Lake chemistry and fish mercury varied with climate and lake water levels.
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Some studies have not observed mercury increases in fish following fires, such as lack of increase in yellow perch in northern Minnesota.
“Still other studies have not observed increases, as in the lack of a mercury increase in yellow perch (P. flavescens) following fires in northern Minnesota (Riggs et al., 2017).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Riggs et al., 2017
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- Authors
- Riggs, C. E., Kolka, R. K., Nater, E. A., Witt, E. L., Wickman, T. R., Woodruff, L. G., & Butcher, J. T.
- Affiliations
- University of Minnesota (US)
- US Forest Service (US)
- Stockton University (US)
- United States Geological Survey (US)
- Corresponding author
- Riggs, Charlotte E.
- Venue
- Journal of Environmental Quality
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-05
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 623-631
- ISSN
- 0047-2425 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-2537
- OpenAlex
- W2600596067
- Cited by
- 11
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2
- FWCI
- 0.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Environmental Quality (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Joint Fire Sciences Program (04-2-1-86)
- EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Mercury impact and mitigation studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Keywords
- yellow perch, mercury accumulation, forest fires, prescribed burning, young-of-the-year fish, lake water chemistry, lake productivity, soil carbon, watershed comparison, climate effects, lake water level, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, boreal forest lakes
- MeSH terms
- Wildfires, Animals, Fires, Mercury, Minnesota, Perches, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Lakes
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