Long-term ecological research data on crayfish populations in seven primary study lakes within Wisconsin's Northern Highland Lakes District. The dataset includes species-level counts from baited trap surveys, with detailed annual surveys for the invasive species Orconectes rusticus in Trout Lake. Data collection was initiated in 1972 and is maintained by the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Use Cases
- Analyze species distribution and community composition across seven study lakes using species identification and count data.
- Track the invasion dynamics of Orconectes rusticus in Trout Lake using detailed annual survey records.
- Model long-term population trends for native and invasive crayfish species using time-series data from 1972 onward.
- Compare crayfish catch rates between lakes of varying size, depth, and fertility (oligotrophic to eutrophic) using trap location data.
Strengths
- Long-term data collection initiated in 1972, providing multi-decadal ecological records.
- Surveys cover seven distinct study lakes, offering comparative spatial analysis.
- Includes detailed annual surveys for a specific invasive species (Orconectes rusticus) in Trout Lake.
Limitations
- Sample size and temporal resolution for most lakes are unspecified beyond the existence of long-term records.
- Geographic scope is limited to one region (Northern Highland Lakes District of Wisconsin).
- Data from pre-LTER periods (Ph.D. dissertations) may have inconsistent methodologies.
Provenance
- Source
- Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, as part of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network.
- Collection Method
- Catch data from cylindrical traps baited with beef liver placed at fyke net locations, with individuals identified to species and counted.
- Time Range
- Data collection initiated in late June 1972; temporal extent is ongoing but unspecified.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Seven primary study lakes (Allequash, Big Muskellunge, Crystal, Sparkling, Trout, and unnamed lakes 27-02 and 12-15) in the Northern Highland Lakes District of Wisconsin, USA.