{"id":{"repo_id":"montana-tech","oai_identifier":"oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-2347"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/montana-tech/oai:scholarworks.umt.edu:etd-2347","repository":{"repo_id":"montana-tech","name":"Montana Technology","base_url":"https://scholarworks.umt.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"FACTORS AFFECTING MERCURY BIOMAGNIFICATION IN RIVERINE FOOD WEBS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS: CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN, MONTANA, U.S.A.","abstract":"A number of studies suggest that Hg biomagnification in aquatic systems are dependent on two factors: a source of mercury and the potential for this mercury to become methylated. To compare the importance of these two factors in a riverine system I examine sites with varying sediment total mercury concentrations (source term) and varying environmental conditions affecting mercury methylation (wetland abundance, and riparian abundance) resulting in mercury concentration in three riverine trophic levels (aquatic invertebrates, fish, and osprey). I find that the mercury concentrations of low trophically positioned species, like aquatic invertebrates, are extremely dependent on mercury source concentrations (p=0.0143). While, species in subsequent trophic positions, such as fish see substantial influence from both the source term (p<0.0001) and environmental conditions (wetland abundance, p<0.0001 and riparian abundance, p=0.0008. Top trophic level species, such as osprey, have THg concentrations that are heavily dependent on environmental conditions (wetland abundance p<0.0001 and riparian abundance, p=0.0001) and less on the sediment source of THg (p=.1234). Specifically, for these higher trophic levels, wetland abundance is the most explanatory environmental condition in determining the mercury methylation potential.","abstract_html":"A number of studies suggest that Hg biomagnification in aquatic systems are dependent on two factors: a source of mercury and the potential for this mercury to become methylated. To compare the importance of these two factors in a riverine system I examine sites with varying sediment total mercury concentrations (source term) and varying environmental conditions affecting mercury methylation (wetland abundance, and riparian abundance) resulting in mercury concentration in three riverine trophic levels (aquatic invertebrates, fish, and osprey). I find that the mercury concentrations of low trophically positioned species, like aquatic invertebrates, are extremely dependent on mercury source concentrations (p=0.0143). While, species in subsequent trophic positions, such as fish see substantial influence from both the source term (p&lt;0.0001) and environmental conditions (wetland abundance, p&lt;0.0001 and riparian abundance, p=0.0008. Top trophic level species, such as osprey, have THg concentrations that are heavily dependent on environmental conditions (wetland abundance p&lt;0.0001 and riparian abundance, p=0.0001) and less on the sediment source of THg (p=.1234). Specifically, for these higher trophic levels, wetland abundance is the most explanatory environmental condition in determining the mercury methylation potential.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Staats, Molly Frances"],"institution":"University of Montana","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:14:45Z","subjects":["biomagnification","food web","mercury","mercuy methylation","wetlands"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1328","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Staats, Molly Frances"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Montana"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis - Campus Access Only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["biomagnification","food web","mercury","mercuy methylation","wetlands"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1328"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A number of studies suggest that Hg biomagnification in aquatic systems are dependent on two factors: a source of mercury and the potential for this mercury to become methylated. To compare the importance of these two factors in a riverine system I examine sites with varying sediment total mercury concentrations (source term) and varying environmental conditions affecting mercury methylation (wetland abundance, and riparian abundance) resulting in mercury concentration in three riverine trophic levels (aquatic invertebrates, fish, and osprey). I find that the mercury concentrations of low trophically positioned species, like aquatic invertebrates, are extremely dependent on mercury source concentrations (p=0.0143). While, species in subsequent trophic positions, such as fish see substantial influence from both the source term (p<0.0001) and environmental conditions (wetland abundance, p<0.0001 and riparian abundance, p=0.0008. Top trophic level species, such as osprey, have THg concentrations that are heavily dependent on environmental conditions (wetland abundance p<0.0001 and riparian abundance, p=0.0001) and less on the sediment source of THg (p=.1234). Specifically, for these higher trophic levels, wetland abundance is the most explanatory environmental condition in determining the mercury methylation potential."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["FACTORS AFFECTING MERCURY BIOMAGNIFICATION IN RIVERINE FOOD WEBS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS: CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN, MONTANA, U.S.A."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Staats, Molly Frances"],"dc:description.abstract":["A number of studies suggest that Hg biomagnification in aquatic systems are dependent on two factors: a source of mercury and the potential for this mercury to become methylated. To compare the importance of these two factors in a riverine system I examine sites with varying sediment total mercury concentrations (source term) and varying environmental conditions affecting mercury methylation (wetland abundance, and riparian abundance) resulting in mercury concentration in three riverine trophic levels (aquatic invertebrates, fish, and osprey). I find that the mercury concentrations of low trophically positioned species, like aquatic invertebrates, are extremely dependent on mercury source concentrations (p=0.0143). While, species in subsequent trophic positions, such as fish see substantial influence from both the source term (p<0.0001) and environmental conditions (wetland abundance, p<0.0001 and riparian abundance, p=0.0008. Top trophic level species, such as osprey, have THg concentrations that are heavily dependent on environmental conditions (wetland abundance p<0.0001 and riparian abundance, p=0.0001) and less on the sediment source of THg (p=.1234). Specifically, for these higher trophic levels, wetland abundance is the most explanatory environmental condition in determining the mercury methylation potential."],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1328"],"dc:publisher":["University of Montana"],"dc:subject":["biomagnification","food web","mercury","mercuy methylation","wetlands"],"dc:title":["FACTORS AFFECTING MERCURY BIOMAGNIFICATION IN RIVERINE FOOD WEBS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS: CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN, MONTANA, U.S.A."],"dc:type":["Thesis - Campus Access Only"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:14:45Z"}