Collaborating to Conserving Native Characeae in Minnesota Lakes

This will be an on-line Zoom meeting only. MNNPS members, check your email for instructions.

7:00 PM Meeting starts

Program: Collaborating to Conserving Native Characeae in Minnesota Lakes

Talk Abstract

The Characeae, a family comprised of large, morphologically complex, freshwater green algae are among the closest living relatives of the first land plants. Commonly known as “stoneworts”, they are essential components of lakes throughout Minnesota, yet their preservation is hindered by a lack of expertise in identification. The 2015 discovery of “starry stonewort”, the only known invasive member of this family, in a Minnesota lake underscores the importance of studying the distribution, diversity, and ecological roles of native Characeae. Through collaboration among the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and the New York Botanical Garden, our project aims to enhance knowledge and proficiency in Characeae identification and ecology. Employing field surveys, microscopic analyses, and phylogenetic studies, our team has identified numerous native Characeae species and monitored the spread of the invasive. Our collaborative initiative seeks to integrate Characeae sampling into routine lake surveys, train surveyors in Characeae identification, and establish baseline data on Characeae communities statewide. Conducting surveys across 650 waterbodies statewide and intensive searches in lakes within the Leech Lake Reservation, our project will inform lake management strategies, aid in prioritizing lakes for conservation efforts, and facilitate monitoring of changes in lake habitats, thereby bolstering the conservation of Minnesota’s lake ecosystems. In this presentation, we provide a preliminary update of our project.

Presenters

Donna J. Perleberg, Research Scientist II, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Brainerd, MN

Kate A. Hagsten, Plant Program Director, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Division of Resource Management, Cass Lake, MN

Melinda Neville, Earth Systems Science Program Director, Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, MN

Leanna Goose, Research Student, Leech Lake Tribal College, Cass Lake, MN

Kenneth G. Karol, Ph.D., Associate Curator, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics, New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, NY