Coyates and the Ecosystems of the Yellostone National Park

Cayotes and the Ecosystem of the Yellowstone National Park

ADDIN EN .CITE ADDIN EN .CITE .DATA (Bruckner and Marquette University Meyer-Dombard and Washington University McCullough Barrett et al . 1992 Knight 1994 Elias 1996 Clark and North Atlantic Treaty Organization . Scientific Affairs Division . 1997 Batzer , Rader et al . 1999 Clark 1999 Clark 1999 Magoc 1999 Neimark and Mott 1999 Machlis and Field 2000 Bull 2004 Mason 2004 Mateo 2004 Wallace 2004 Ray 2005 Wagner 2006

ADDIN EN .REFLIST Batzer , D .

, R . B . Rader , et al (1999 Invertebrates in freshwater wetlands of

North America : ecology and management . New York , J . Wiley Bruckner , J . C . and Marquette University . Investigations on methane and methanotrophic bacteria in geothermally active Yellowstone Lake : 222

p The presence of sublacustrine geothermal activity in Yellowstone Lake Yellowstone National Park , WY has resulted in an interesting freshwater ecosystem . Analyses of bulk lake and hydrothermal vent water have indicated that vent emanations contain increased levels of mineral nutrients and gases , which , similar to marine hydrothermal emanations are capable of supporting diverse microbial communities . The data presented in this dissertation pertains to the distribution and concentration of methane in the hydrothermal features and water columns of Yellowstone Lake and the relative size and distribution of methanotroph communities within these features of geothermally active Mary Bay . Additionally , the methanotrophic community structure of selected vents within this basin will be discussed

The chemical constituents of hydrothermal fluids from Yellowstone Lake were known to be variable . Although many areas of the lake were shown to have hydrothermal activity , the concentration of methane in a given vent 's fluid varied with respect to the basin in which that vent was located . Methane levels in vent fluids from the West Thumb were typically low , while vent fluids from the lake 's northeastern basins including Mary Bay , Sedge Bay , and the canyons off Stevenson Island were significantly higher . Despite this variability , lake basins containing geothermal activity were shown to have increased methane concentrations in their water columns when compared to the Southeast Arm , a basin having no known geothermal activity

Based on the variable methane concentrations observed and the chemical and temperature gradients established by hydrothermal venting and thermal stratification of the lake , it was assumed that varying numbers of methanotrophs would be present within the fluids of different vents and at different depths within the water column . The differences observed between individual vents with respect to methane levels and temperature should also have resulted in different methanotrophic vent communities

Primers directed at a gene found in almost all known methanotrophs , the pmoA gene , confirmed their presence in both the water column and vent fluids of Mary Bay . Utilizing these primers in conjunction with serial dilutions and most probable number (MPN ) methodology , the numbers of methanotrophs present in samples from Mary Bay were shown to vary between individual vents and within the water column . These variations in methanotroph numbers could not be attributed to any measured parameter of the individual vents or depths in the water column...