Research in a Living Laboratory: Terrestrial linkages to pond ecosystems in the Mount St. Helen’s National Volcanic Monument

As climate change alters communities in complex ways, water bodies are projected to experience profound adverse effects, particularly aquatic systems in higher elevation and mountainous regions. Warmer temperatures decrease the snow cover, resulting in increased runoff of nutrients in these mountain freshwaters, altering the habitat of zooplankton communities and fracturing the food web. The slow reestablishment of deciduous and coniferous vegetation in the Mount St. Helen’s National Volcanic Monument provides a resource-limited environment to study how the reintroduction of terrestrial vegetation influences aquatic communities. Ponds created by the 1980 volcanic eruption’s debris avalanche provide the unique opportunity to fill knowledge gaps in our understanding of terrestrial-aquatic linkages. Assessing the effects of certain organic matter and zooplankton community change as a result of a syndrome called “brownification” could provide valuable understanding of the response to climate change and ecological patterns, and insights into how to protect these critical freshwater habitats better.