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109-521: Bronte Creek is a waterway in the Lake Ontario watershed of Ontario Canada . It runs through Hamilton and Halton Region , with its source near Morriston (south of the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 401 ), passing Bronte Creek Provincial Park , on its way to Lake Ontario at Bronte Harbour in Oakville , where the creek is also known as Twelve Mile Creek . Bronte takes its name from

218-491: A diapause , or dormancy period, that should allow the zooplankton to encounter conditions that are more favorable to survival when they finally hatch. The invertebrates that inhabit the benthic zone are numerically dominated by small species, and are species-rich compared to the zooplankton of the open water. They include: Crustaceans (e.g. crabs , crayfish , and shrimp ), molluscs (e.g. clams and snails ), and numerous types of insects. These organisms are mostly found in

327-461: A " plankton bloom ." This bloom decreases water transparency, leading to the loss of submerged plants. The resultant reduction in habitat structure has negative impacts on the species that utilize it for spawning, maturation, and general survival. Additionally, the large number of short-lived phytoplankton result in a massive amount of dead biomass settling into the sediment. Bacteria need large amounts of oxygen to decompose this material, thus reducing

436-768: A French spelling of the Mohawk Katarokwi . The lake was a border between the Huron people and the Iroquois Confederacy in the pre-Columbian era . In the 17th century, the Iroquois drove out the Huron from southern Ontario and settled the northern shores of Lake Ontario . When the Iroquois withdrew and the Anishnabeg / Ojibwa / Mississaugas moved in from the north to southern Ontario, they retained

545-418: A current through burrows that they have created in the sediment. This mode of feeding requires the least amount of motion, allowing these species to conserve energy. A small number of invertebrate taxa are predators in the profundal zone. These species are likely from other regions and only come to these depths to feed. The vast majority of invertebrates in this zone are deposit feeders, getting their energy from

654-475: A diet shift as they develop. Therefore, it is likely that any single fish occupies multiple feeding guilds within its lifetime. As noted in the previous sections, the lentic biota are linked in complex web of trophic relationships. These organisms can be considered to loosely be associated with specific trophic groups (e.g. primary producers, herbivores, primary carnivores, secondary carnivores, etc.). Scientists have developed several theories in order to understand

763-442: A high concentration of phosphorus (~30 μg/L), nitrogen (~1500 μg/L), or both. Phosphorus enters lentic waters from sewage treatment effluents, discharge from raw sewage, or from runoff of farmland. Nitrogen mostly comes from agricultural fertilizers from runoff or leaching and subsequent groundwater flow. This increase in nutrients required for primary producers results in a massive increase of phytoplankton growth, termed

872-445: A large number of waterfowl species. Most of these vertebrates spend part of their time in terrestrial habitats, and thus, are not directly affected by abiotic factors in the lake or pond. Many fish species are important both as consumers and as prey species to the larger vertebrates mentioned above. Lentic systems gain most of their energy from photosynthesis performed by aquatic plants and algae. This autochthonous process involves

981-422: A large temperature difference between them that they remain stratified. The lowest zone in the lake is the coldest and is called the hypolimnion . The upper warm zone is called the epilimnion . Between these zones is a band of rapid temperature change called the thermocline . During the colder fall season, heat is lost at the surface and the epilimnion cools. When the temperatures of the two zones are close enough,

1090-439: A lentic system increases with the surface area of the lake or pond. This is attributable to the higher likelihood of partly terrestrial species of finding a larger system. Also, because larger systems typically have larger populations, the chance of extinction is decreased. Additional factors, including temperature regime, pH, nutrient availability, habitat complexity, speciation rates, competition, and predation, have been linked to

1199-418: A pond or lake through runoff from the watershed or by atmospheric deposition. Upon entering the system, a reactive form of phosphorus is usually taken up by algae and macrophytes, which release a non-reactive phosphorus compound as a byproduct of photosynthesis. This phosphorus can drift downwards and become part of the benthic or profundal sediment, or it can be remineralized to the reactive form by microbes in

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1308-438: A process called succession. When humans use the drainage basin , the volumes of sediment entering the lake can accelerate this process. The addition of sediments and nutrients to a lake is known as eutrophication . Lake ecosystems can be divided into zones. One common system divides lakes into three zones. The first, the littoral zone , is the shallow zone near the shore. This is where rooted wetland plants occur. The offshore

1417-427: A range of physiological tolerances that are dependent upon which species they belong to. They have different lethal temperatures, dissolved oxygen requirements, and spawning needs that are based on their activity levels and behaviors. Because fish are highly mobile, they are able to deal with unsuitable abiotic factors in one zone by simply moving to another. A detrital feeder in the profundal zone, for example, that finds

1526-483: A result of decreased phytoplankton prey and increased predation by juvenile fishes. 5. With increased nutrient availability and decreased predation from zooplankton, a diverse phytoplankton community develops. 6. As the summer continues, nutrients become depleted in a predictable order: phosphorus, silica , and then nitrogen . The abundance of various phytoplankton species varies in relation to their biological need for these nutrients. 7. Small-sized zooplankton become

1635-450: A role in light availability because the shallower the angle at which light strikes water, the more light is lost by reflection. This is known as Beer's law . Once light has penetrated the surface, it may also be scattered by particles suspended in the water column. This scattering decreases the total amount of light as depth increases. Lakes are divided into photic and aphotic regions, the prior receiving sunlight and latter being below

1744-465: A significant number of lagoons and sheltered harbors, mostly near (but not limited to) Prince Edward County, Ontario , and the easternmost shores. Perhaps the best-known example is Toronto Bay , chosen as the site of the Upper Canada capital for its strategic harbor. Other prominent examples include Hamilton Harbour , Irondequoit Bay , Presqu'ile Bay , and Sodus Bay . The bars themselves are

1853-523: A single seasonal cycle: Winter 1. Increased nutrient and light availability result in rapid phytoplankton growth towards the end of winter. The dominant species, such as diatoms, are small and have quick growth capabilities. 2. These plankton are consumed by zooplankton, which become the dominant plankton taxa. Spring 3. A clear water phase occurs, as phytoplankton populations become depleted due to increased predation by growing numbers of zooplankton. Summer 4. Zooplankton abundance declines as

1962-527: A small number of species is a tail-like flagellum that can adjust vertical position, and allow movement in any direction. Phytoplankton can also maintain their presence in the water column by being circulated in Langmuir rotations . Periphytic algae, on the other hand, are attached to a substrate. In lakes and ponds, they can cover all benthic surfaces. Both types of plankton are important as food sources and as oxygen providers. Aquatic plants live in both

2071-642: Is a well-documented global pattern that correlates decreasing plant and animal diversity with increasing latitude, that is to say, there are fewer species as one moves towards the poles. The cause of this pattern is one of the greatest puzzles for ecologists today. Theories for its explanation include energy availability, climatic variability, disturbance, competition, etc. Despite this global diversity gradient, this pattern can be weak for freshwater systems compared to global marine and terrestrial systems. This may be related to size, as Hillebrand and Azovsky found that smaller organisms (protozoa and plankton) did not follow

2180-463: Is accompanied by the invasion of cattails , which displace many of the native plant species and reduce plant diversity. Eutrophication may accelerate this process by providing nitrogen and phosphorus for the more rapid growth of competitively dominant plants. Similar effects are occurring on the north shore, in wetlands such as Presqu'ile, which have interdunal wetlands called pannes , with high plant diversity and many unusual plant species. Most of

2289-409: Is divided into two further zones, an open water zone and a deep water zone. In the open water zone (or photic zone) sunlight supports photosynthetic algae and the species that feed upon them. In the deep water zone, sunlight is not available and the food web is based on detritus entering from the littoral and photic zones. Some systems use other names. The off shore areas may be called the pelagic zone ,

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2398-474: Is essential for organismal respiration . The amount of oxygen present in standing waters depends upon: 1) the area of transparent water exposed to the air, 2) the circulation of water within the system and 3) the amount of oxygen generated and used by organisms present. In shallow, plant-rich pools there may be great fluctuations of oxygen, with extremely high concentrations occurring during the day due to photosynthesis and very low values at night when respiration

2507-433: Is important for all organisms because it is a component of DNA and RNA and is involved in cell metabolism as a component of ATP and ADP. Also, phosphorus is not found in large quantities in freshwater systems, limiting photosynthesis in primary producers, making it the main determinant of lentic system production. The phosphorus cycle is complex, but the model outlined below describes the basic pathways. Phosphorus mainly enters

2616-775: Is known as the microbial loop and is a key component of lentic food webs. The decomposition of organic materials can continue in the benthic and profundal zones if the matter falls through the water column before being completely digested by the pelagic bacteria. Bacteria are found in the greatest abundance here in sediments, where they are typically 2-1000 times more prevalent than in the water column. Benthic invertebrates, due to their high level of species richness, have many methods of prey capture. Filter feeders create currents via siphons or beating cilia, to pull water and its nutritional contents, towards themselves for straining. Grazers use scraping, rasping, and shredding adaptations to feed on periphytic algae and macrophytes. Members of

2725-398: Is less oxygen released from photosynthesis. In spring and fall when the epilimnion and hypolimnion mix, oxygen becomes more evenly distributed in the system. Low oxygen levels are characteristic of the profundal zone due to the accumulation of decaying vegetation and animal matter that “rains” down from the pelagic and benthic zones and the inability to support primary producers. Phosphorus

2834-559: Is logical to assume that they will become increasingly shallower in depth, eventually becoming wetlands or terrestrial vegetation. The length of this process should depend upon a combination of depth and sedimentation rate. Moss gives the example of Lake Tanganyika , which reaches a depth of 1500 m and has a sedimentation rate of 0.5 mm/yr. Assuming that sedimentation is not influenced by anthropogenic factors, this system should go extinct in approximately 3 million years. Shallow lentic systems might also fill in as swamps encroach inward from

2943-430: Is rich in carbonates have a natural buffer, resulting in no alteration of pH. Systems without this bedrock, however, are very sensitive to acid inputs because they have a low neutralizing capacity, resulting in pH declines even with only small inputs of acid. At a pH of 5–6 algal species diversity and biomass decrease considerably, leading to an increase in water transparency – a characteristic feature of acidified lakes. As

3052-417: Is still not well understood, but it is evident that it involves some interaction between horizontal surface currents and surface gravity waves. The visible result of these rotations, which can be seen in any lake, are the surface foamlines that run parallel to the wind direction. Positively buoyant particles and small organisms concentrate in the foamline at the surface and negatively buoyant objects are found in

3161-903: Is the Niagara River, draining Lake Erie, with the Saint Lawrence River serving as the outlet. The drainage basin covers 24,720 square miles (64,030 km ). As with all the Great Lakes, water levels change both within the year (owing to seasonal changes in water input) and among years (owing to longer-term trends in precipitation). These water level fluctuations are an integral part of lake ecology and produce and maintain extensive wetlands. The lake also has an important freshwater fishery, although it has been negatively affected by factors including overfishing , water pollution and invasive species . Baymouth bars built by prevailing winds and currents have created

3270-581: Is the Z-shaped Bay of Quinte which separates Prince Edward County from the Ontario mainland, save for a 2-mile (3.2 km) isthmus near Trenton; this feature also supports many wetlands and aquatic plants, as well as associated fisheries. Major rivers draining into Lake Ontario include the Niagara River, Don River , Humber River , Rouge River , Trent River , Cataraqui River , Genesee River , Oswego River , Black River , Little Salmon River , and

3379-402: Is the dominant process of primary producers. Thermal stratification in larger systems can also affect the amount of oxygen present in different zones. The epilimnion is oxygen rich because it circulates quickly, gaining oxygen via contact with the air. The hypolimnion, however, circulates very slowly and has no atmospheric contact. Additionally, fewer green plants exist in the hypolimnion, so there

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3488-700: The American Revolution with the influx of Loyalist settlers. During the War of 1812, the Royal Navy and US Navy had fought in several engagements for control of Lake Ontario . The Great Lakes, including Lake Ontario, were largely demilitarized after the Rush–Bagot Treaty was ratified in 1818. The lake became a hub of commercial activity following the War of 1812 with canal building on both sides of

3597-475: The Canadian Museum of History ), created by military engineer Jean-Baptiste de Couagne , identified Lake Ontario as "Lac Frontenac" named after Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau. He was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698. In the 17th century, reports of an alleged creature named Gaasyendietha , similar to

3706-762: The Huron language, the name Ontarí'io means "great lake". Its primary inlet is the Niagara River from Lake Erie . The last in the Great Lakes chain, Lake Ontario serves as the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River , comprising the western end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway . The Long Sault control dam , primarily along with the Moses-Saunders Power Dam regulates the water level of

3815-717: The Native American peoples of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Government of New York jointly administer the sanctuary. Lake Ontario is the site of several major commercial ports including the Port of Toronto and the Port of Hamilton . Hamilton Harbour is the location of major steel production facilities. The government of Ontario , which holds

3924-716: The Niagara Peninsula is a major fruit-growing and wine-making area. The wine-growing region extends over the international border into Niagara and Orleans counties in New York. Apple varieties that tolerate a more extreme climate are grown on the lake's north shore, around Cobourg . The Great Lakes watershed is a region of high biodiversity, and Lake Ontario is important for its diversity of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and plants. Many of these special species are associated with shorelines, particularly sand dunes, lagoons, and wetlands. The importance of wetlands to

4033-520: The Salmon River . The lake basin was carved out of soft, weak Silurian -age rocks by the Wisconsin ice sheet during the last ice age . The action of the ice occurred along the pre-glacial Ontarian River valley which had approximately the same orientation as today's basin. Material that was pushed southward by the ice sheet left landforms such as drumlins , kames , and moraines , both on

4142-625: The pelagic open water zone, and the benthic zone , which comprises the bottom and shore regions. Since lakes have deep bottom regions not exposed to light, these systems have an additional zone, the profundal . These three areas can have very different abiotic conditions and, hence, host species that are specifically adapted to live there. Two important subclasses of lakes are ponds , which typically are small lakes that intergrade with wetlands, and water reservoirs . Over long periods of time, lakes, or bays within them, may gradually become enriched by nutrients and slowly fill in with organic sediments,

4251-422: The photic zone may be called the limnetic zone and the aphotic zone may be called the profundal zone . Inland from the littoral zone, one can also frequently identify a riparian zone which has plants still affected by the presence of the lake—this can include effects from windfalls, spring flooding, and winter ice damage. The production of the lake as a whole is the result of production from plants growing in

4360-609: The 32-mile (52-km) crossing from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Marilyn Bell Park in just under 27 hours. A large conurbation called the Golden Horseshoe occupies the lake's westernmost shores, anchored by the cities of Toronto and Hamilton. Ports on the Canadian side include St. Catharines, Oshawa, Cobourg and Kingston, near the St. Lawrence River outlet. Close to 9 million people, or over a quarter of Canada's population, live within

4469-517: The Atlantic. The shoreline created during this stage can be easily recognized by the (now dry) beaches and wave-cut hills 10 to 25 miles (16 to 40 km) from the present shoreline. When the ice finally receded from the St. Lawrence valley, the outlet was below sea level , and for a short time, the lake became a bay of the Atlantic Ocean, in association with the Champlain Sea . Gradually

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4578-455: The Canadian province of Ontario , and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York . The Canada–United States border spans the centre of the lake. The Canadian cities of Hamilton , Kingston , Mississauga , and Toronto are located on the lake's northern shorelines, while the Canadian city of St. Catharines and the American city of Rochester are located on the south shore. In

4687-463: The Iroquois name. Artifacts believed to be of Norse origin have been found in the area of Sodus Bay , indicating the possibility of trading by the indigenous peoples with Norse explorers on the east coast of North America. It is believed the first European to reach the lake was Étienne Brûlé in 1615. As was their practice, the French explorers introduced other names for the lake. In 1632 and 1656,

4796-608: The Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa , Ontario. Several lighthouses exists throughout the lake to help with navigation. Notable historic examples include: A land-based trail that roughly follows the lake's shoreline also exists, the Great Lakes Circle Tour and Seaway Trail . The designated scenic road systems connects all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. As the Seaway Trail is posted on

4905-444: The U.S. side only, Lake Ontario is the only of the five Great Lakes to have no posted bi-national circle tour. The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary covers 1,722 square miles (1,300 sq nmi; 4,460 km ) in U.S. waters in southeastern Lake Ontario. Designated on September 6, 2024, the national marine sanctuary protects historic shipwrecks and an area of great cultural, historical, and spiritual importance to

5014-654: The United States, population centres here are among the oldest in the Great Lakes basin, with Kingston, Ontario , formerly the capital of Canada , dating to the establishment of Fort Frontenac in 1673. After the French and Indian War , all forts around the lake were under British control. The United States took possession of the forts along the American side of the lake at the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794. Permanent, non-military European settlement began during

5123-467: The abundance or diversity of members of higher trophic levels is dependent upon the availability or quality of resources from lower levels. Finally, a combined regulating theory, bottom-up:top-down, combines the predicted influences of consumers and resource availability. It predicts that trophic levels close to the lowest trophic levels will be most influenced by bottom-up forces, while top-down effects should be strongest at top levels. The biodiversity of

5232-485: The aerial stems and leaves). Thus, the leaves and stems of most aquatic plants use less energy to construct and maintain woody tissue, investing that energy into fast growth instead. In order to contend with stresses induced by the wind and waves, plants must be both flexible and tough. Light, water depth, and substrate types are the most important factors controlling the distribution of submerged aquatic plants. Macrophytes are sources of food, oxygen, and habitat structure in

5341-628: The area between Oswego and Pulaski may receive twenty or more feet (600 cm) of snowfall. Also impacted by lake-effect snow is the Tug Hill Plateau , an area of elevated land about 20 miles (32 km) east of Lake Ontario. The "Hill", as it is often referred to, typically receives more snow than any other region in the eastern United States . As a result, Tug Hill is a popular location for winter enthusiasts, such as snow-mobilers and cross-country skiers. Lake-effect snow often extends inland as far as Syracuse , with that city often recording

5450-439: The area for use in construction, particularly in the growing city of Toronto. As of 2012 , nearly 50 people have successfully swum across the lake. The first person who accomplished the feat was a Canadian long distance swimmer Marilyn Bell , who did it in 1954 at age 16. Toronto's Marilyn Bell Park is named in her honour. The park opened in 1984 and is east of the spot where Bell completed her swim. In 1974, Diana Nyad became

5559-410: The areas of macrophyte growth, where the richest resources, highly-oxygenated water, and warmest portion of the ecosystem are found. The structurally diverse macrophyte beds are important sites for the accumulation of organic matter, and provide an ideal area for colonization. The sediments and plants also offer a great deal of protection from predatory fishes. Very few invertebrates are able to inhabit

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5668-416: The bacteria are utilizing them to build their own biomass. Bacteria, however, are consumed by protozoa , which are in turn consumed by zooplankton, and then further up the trophic levels . Elements other than carbon, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, are regenerated when protozoa feed on bacterial prey and this way, nutrients become once more available for use in the water column. This regeneration cycle

5777-460: The benthic and pelagic zones, and can be grouped according to their manner of growth: ⑴ emergent = rooted in the substrate, but with leaves and flowers extending into the air; ⑵ floating-leaved = rooted in the substrate, but with floating leaves; ⑶ submersed = growing beneath the surface; ⑷ free-floating macrophytes = not rooted in the substrate, and floating on the surface. These various forms of macrophytes generally occur in different areas of

5886-617: The benthic zone, but cannot penetrate the depths of the euphotic zone, and hence are not found there. Zooplankton are tiny animals suspended in the water column. Like phytoplankton, these species have developed mechanisms that keep them from sinking to deeper waters, including drag-inducing body forms, and the active flicking of appendages (such as antennae or spines). Remaining in the water column may have its advantages in terms of feeding, but this zone's lack of refugia leaves zooplankton vulnerable to predation. In response, some species, especially Daphnia sp., make daily vertical migrations in

5995-399: The benthic zone, with emergent vegetation nearest the shoreline, then floating-leaved macrophytes, followed by submersed vegetation. Free-floating macrophytes can occur anywhere on the system's surface. Aquatic plants are more buoyant than their terrestrial counterparts because freshwater has a higher density than air. This makes structural rigidity unimportant in lakes and ponds (except in

6104-413: The border and heavy travel by lake steamers. Steamer activity peaked in the mid-19th century before competition from railway lines. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a type of scow known as a stone hooker was in operation on the northwest shore, particularly around Port Credit and Bronte . Stonehooking was the practice of raking flat fragments of Dundas shale from the shallow lake floor of

6213-486: The cold, dark, and oxygen-poor profundal zone . Those that can are often red in color, due to the presence of large amounts of hemoglobin , which greatly increases the amount of oxygen carried to cells. Because the concentration of oxygen within this zone is low, most species construct tunnels or burrows in which they can hide, and utilize the minimum amount of movements necessary to circulate water through, drawing oxygen to them without expending too much energy. Fish have

6322-411: The collector guild browse the sediments, picking out specific particles with raptorial appendages. Deposit feeding invertebrates indiscriminately consume sediment, digesting any organic material it contains. Finally, some invertebrates belong to the predator guild, capturing and consuming living animals. The profundal zone is home to a unique group of filter feeders that use small body movements to draw

6431-458: The combination of carbon dioxide, water, and solar energy to produce carbohydrates and dissolved oxygen. Within a lake or pond, the potential rate of photosynthesis generally decreases with depth due to light attenuation. Photosynthesis, however, is often low at the top few millimeters of the surface, likely due to inhibition by ultraviolet light. The exact depth and photosynthetic rate measurements of this curve are system-specific and depend upon: 1)

6540-465: The creek has exposed an outcrop of Queenston Formation red shale with narrow, greenish layers of calcareous sandstone and silty bioclastic carbonate. This article related to a river in Ontario , Canada is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by

6649-399: The depths of light penetration, making it void of photosynthetic capacity. In relation to lake zonation, the pelagic and benthic zones are considered to lie within the photic region, while the profundal zone is in the aphotic region. Temperature is an important abiotic factor in lentic ecosystems because most of the biota are poikilothermic , where internal body temperatures are defined by

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6758-575: The dominant type of zooplankton because they are less vulnerable to fish predation. Fall 8. Predation by fishes is reduced due to lower temperatures and zooplankton of all sizes increase in number. Winter 9. Cold temperatures and decreased light availability result in lower rates of primary production and decreased phytoplankton populations. 10. Reproduction in zooplankton decreases due to lower temperatures and less prey. The PEG model presents an idealized version of this succession pattern, while natural systems are known for their variation. There

6867-549: The eastern and northeastern shores, between the Prince Edward County headland and the lake's outlet at Kingston, underlain by the basement rock found throughout the region. However, there exist several islands in the northwestern portion of the lake. Notable islands include: The Great Lakes Waterway connects the lake sidestream to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence Seaway and upstream to

6976-543: The edges. These processes operate on a much shorter timescale, taking hundreds to thousands of years to complete the extinction process. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are naturally released from volcanoes, organic compounds in the soil, wetlands, and marine systems, but the majority of these compounds come from the combustion of coal, oil, gasoline, and the smelting of ores containing sulfur. These substances dissolve in atmospheric moisture and enter lentic systems as acid rain . Lakes and ponds that contain bedrock that

7085-486: The expected trend strongly, while larger species (vertebrates) did. They attributed this to better dispersal ability by smaller organisms, which may result in high distributions globally. Lakes can be formed in a variety of ways, but the most common are discussed briefly below. The oldest and largest systems are the result of tectonic activities. The rift lakes in Africa, for example are the result of seismic activity along

7194-413: The first person who swam across the lake against the current (from north to south). On August 28, 2007, 14-year-old Natalie Lambert from Kingston, Ontario, made the swim, leaving Sackets Harbor, New York, and reaching Kingston's Confederation basin less than 24 hours after she entered the lake. On August 19, 2012, 14-year-old Annaleise Carr became the youngest person to swim across the lake. She completed

7303-727: The forests around the lake are deciduous forests dominated by trees including maple, oak, beech, ash and basswood. These are classified as part of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone by Environment Canada, or as the Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands by the United States Environmental Protection Agency , or as the Great Lakes Ecoregion by The Nature Conservancy. Deforestation in the vicinity of

7412-570: The frost danger is past, and in the autumn delay the onset of fall frost, particularly on the south shore. Cool onshore winds also slow the early bloom of plants and flowers until later in the spring season, protecting them from possible frost damage. Such microclimatic effects have enabled tender fruit production in a continental climate, with the southwest shore supporting a major fruit-growing area. Apples , cherries , pears , plums , and peaches are grown in many commercial orchards around Rochester. Between Stoney Creek and Niagara-on-the-Lake on

7521-401: The ice. The lake has completely frozen over on five recorded occasions: in 1830, 1874, 1893, 1912, and 1934. When the cold winds of winter pass over the warmer water of the lake, they pick up moisture and drop it as lake-effect snow . Since the prevailing winter winds are from the northwest, the southern and southeastern shoreline of the lake is referred to as the snowbelt . In some winters,

7630-417: The icy layer formed on the surface of the lake breaks up, leaving the water at approximately 4 °C. This is the temperature at which water has the highest density. As the season progresses, the warmer air temperatures heat the surface waters, making them less dense. The deeper waters remain cool and dense due to reduced light penetration. As the summer begins, two distinct layers become established, with such

7739-419: The importance of maintaining and restoring forest cover, particularly along streams and wetlands. By the 1960s and 1970s, the increased pollution caused frequent algal blooms to occur in the summer. These blooms killed large numbers of fish, and left decomposing piles of filamentous algae and dead fish along the shores. Lake Ontario is the most downstream lake of the Great Lakes, so the pollution from all

7848-525: The industry. However, only recreational fishing activities exist in the 21st century. Lake ecosystem Lentic systems are diverse, ranging from a small, temporary rainwater pool a few inches deep to Lake Baikal , which has a maximum depth of 1642 m. The general distinction between pools/ponds and lakes is vague, but Brown states that ponds and pools have their entire bottom surfaces exposed to light, while lakes do not. In addition, some lakes become seasonally stratified. Ponds and pools have two regions:

7957-426: The lake area typically develops, depending on the severity of the winter. Ice sheets typically form along the shoreline and in slack water bays, where the lake is not as deep. During the winters of 1877 and 1878, the ice sheet coverage was up to 95–100% of the lake. During the War of 1812 , the ice cover was stable enough the American naval commander stationed at Sackets Harbor feared a British attack from Kingston, over

8066-602: The lake has been appreciated, and many of the larger wetlands have protected status. These wetlands are changing, partly because the natural water level fluctuations have been reduced. Many wetland plants are dependent upon low water levels to reproduce. When water levels are stabilized, the area and diversity of the marsh is reduced. This is particularly true of meadow marsh (also known as wet meadow wetlands); for example, in Eel Bay near Alexandria Bay, regulation of lake levels has resulted in large losses of wet meadow. Often this

8175-399: The lake has had many negative impacts, including loss of forest birds, extinction of native salmon, and increased amounts of sediment flowing into the lake. In some areas, more than 90 percent of the forest cover has been removed and replaced by agriculture. Certain tree species, such as hemlock, have also been particularly depleted by past logging activity. Guidelines for restoration stress

8284-472: The lake was referred to as Lac de St. Louis or Lake St. Louis by Samuel de Champlain and cartographer Nicolas Sanson respectively. In 1660, Jesuit historian Francis Creuxius coined the name Lacus Ontarius . In a map drawn in the Relation des Jésuites (1662–1663), the lake bears the legend "Lac Ontario ou des Iroquois" with the name "Ondiara" in smaller type. A French map produced in 1712 (currently in

8393-421: The lake. Lake Ontario is the easternmost of the Great Lakes and the smallest in surface area (7,340 sq mi, 19,000 km ), although it exceeds Lake Erie in volume (393 cu mi, 1,640 km ). It is the 13th largest lake in the world . When its islands are included, the lake's shoreline is 712 miles (1,146 km) long. As the last lake in the Great Lakes' hydrologic chain, Lake Ontario has

8502-786: The lakebed rights of the Canadian portion of the lake under the Beds of Navigable Waters Act, does not permit wind power to be generated offshore. In Trillium Power Wind Corporation v. Ontario (Natural Resources) , the Superior Court of Justice held Trillium Power—since 2004 an "Applicant of Record" who had invested $ 35,000 in fees and, when in 2011 the Crown made a policy decision against offshore windfarms, claimed an injury of $ 2.25 billion—disclosed no reasonable cause of action. The Great Lakes once supported an industrial-scale fishery, with record hauls in 1899; overfishing later blighted

8611-481: The land rebounded from the release of the weight of about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) of ice that had been stacked on it. It is still rebounding about 12 inches (30 cm) per century in the St. Lawrence area. Since the ice receded from the area last, the most rapid rebound still occurs there. This means the lake bed is gradually tilting southward, inundating the south shore and turning river valleys into bays . Both north and south shores experience shoreline erosion, but

8720-410: The littoral zone, combined with production from plankton growing in the open water. Wetlands can be part of the lentic system, as they form naturally along most lake shores, the width of the wetland and littoral zone being dependent upon the slope of the shoreline and the amount of natural change in water levels, within and among years. Often dead trees accumulate in this zone, either from windfalls on

8829-459: The lowest mean surface elevation of the lakes at 243 feet (74 m) above sea level; 326 feet (99 m) lower than its neighbor upstream. Its maximum length is 193 statute miles (311 kilometres ; 168 nautical miles ), and its maximum width is 53 statute miles (85 km; 46 nmi). The lake's average depth is 47 fathoms 1 foot (283 ft; 86 m), with a maximum depth of 133 fathoms 4 feet (802 ft; 244 m). The lake's primary source

8938-583: The mechanisms that control the abundance and diversity within these groups. Very generally, top-down processes dictate that the abundance of prey taxa is dependent upon the actions of consumers from higher trophic levels . Typically, these processes operate only between two trophic levels, with no effect on the others. In some cases, however, aquatic systems experience a trophic cascade ; for example, this might occur if primary producers experience less grazing by herbivores because these herbivores are suppressed by carnivores. Bottom-up processes are functioning when

9047-525: The modern land surface and the lake bottom, reorganizing the region's entire drainage system. As the ice sheet retreated toward the north, it still dammed the St. Lawrence Valley outlet, so the lake surface was at a higher level. This stage is known as Lake Iroquois . During that time the lake drained through present-day Syracuse, New York , into the Mohawk River , thence to the Hudson River and

9156-507: The most winter snowfall accumulation of any large city in the United States. Other cities in the world receive more snow annually, such as Quebec City , which averages 135 inches (340 cm), and Sapporo , Japan, which receives 250 inches (640 cm) each year and is often regarded as the snowiest city in the world. Foggy conditions (particularly in fall) can be created by thermal contrasts and can be an impediment for recreational boaters. Lake breezes in spring tend to slow fruit bloom until

9265-564: The number of species present within systems. Phytoplankton and zooplankton communities in lake systems undergo seasonal succession in relation to nutrient availability, predation, and competition. Sommer et al. described these patterns as part of the Plankton Ecology Group ( PEG ) model, with 24 statements constructed from the analysis of numerous systems. The following includes a subset of these statements, as explained by Brönmark and Hansson illustrating succession through

9374-487: The other lakes flows into it. Lake Ontario was ranked as the most environmentally stressed amongst the five Great Lakes in a 2015 ecological study. Some of the stresses on the lake include excess application of fertilizers in agriculture running into the lake, spillover from obsolete municipal sewage systems , toxic chemicals from industries along the rivers that drain into the lake, and metropolitan drainage from big cities like Toronto, Rochester, and Hamilton. Randle Reef ,

9483-697: The other rivers in the chain via the Welland Canal and to Lake Erie. The Trent-Severn Waterway for pleasure boats connects Lake Ontario at the Bay of Quinte to Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) via Lake Simcoe . The Oswego Canal connects the lake at Oswego to the New York State Canal System , with outlets to the Hudson River, Lake Erie, and Lake Champlain . The Rideau Canal , also for pleasure boats, connects Lake Ontario at Kingston to

9592-514: The oxygen concentration has dropped too low may feed closer to the benthic zone. A fish might also alter its residence during different parts of its life history: hatching in a sediment nest, then moving to the weedy benthic zone to develop in a protected environment with food resources, and finally into the pelagic zone as an adult. Other vertebrate taxa inhabit lentic systems as well. These include amphibians (e.g. salamanders and frogs ), reptiles (e.g. snakes , turtles , and alligators ), and

9701-616: The oxygen concentration of the water. This is especially pronounced in stratified lakes , when the thermocline prevents oxygen-rich water from the surface to mix with lower levels. Low or anoxic conditions preclude the existence of many taxa that are not physiologically tolerant of these conditions. Invasive species have been introduced to lentic systems through both purposeful events (e.g. stocking game and food species) as well as unintentional events (e.g. in ballast water ). These organisms can affect natives via competition for prey or habitat, predation, habitat alteration, hybridization , or

9810-476: The pH continues lower, all fauna becomes less diverse. The most significant feature is the disruption of fish reproduction. Thus, the population is eventually composed of few, old individuals that eventually die and leave the systems without fishes. Acid rain has been especially harmful to lakes in Scandinavia , western Scotland , west Wales and the north eastern United States. Eutrophic systems contain

9919-417: The pelagic zone, dead fish and the occasional allochthonous input of litterfall are examples of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM>1 mm). Bacteria degrade these into fine particulate organic matter (FPOM<1 mm) and then further into usable nutrients. Small organisms such as plankton are also characterized as FPOM. Very low concentrations of nutrients are released during decomposition because

10028-477: The principle photosynthesizers in ponds and lakes. Phytoplankton are found drifting in the water column of the pelagic zone. Many species have a higher density than water, which should cause them to sink inadvertently down into the benthos . To combat this, phytoplankton have developed density-changing mechanisms, by forming vacuoles and gas vesicles , or by changing their shapes to induce drag, thus slowing their descent. A very sophisticated adaptation utilized by

10137-569: The shore or logs transported to the site during floods. This woody debris provides important habitat for fish and nesting birds, as well as protecting shorelines from erosion. Light provides the solar energy required to drive the process of photosynthesis , the major energy source of lentic systems. The amount of light received depends upon a combination of several factors. Small ponds may experience shading by surrounding trees, while cloud cover may affect light availability in all systems, regardless of size. Seasonal and diurnal considerations also play

10246-406: The site of separation of two tectonic plates. Ice-formed lakes are created when glaciers recede, leaving behind abnormalities in the landscape shape that are then filled with water. Finally, oxbow lakes are fluvial in origin, resulting when a meandering river bend is pinched off from the main channel. All lakes and ponds receive sediment inputs. Since these systems are not really expanding, it

10355-404: The sites of long beaches, such as Sandbanks Provincial Park and Sandy Island Beach State Park . These sand bars are often associated with large wetlands , which support large numbers of plant and animal species, as well as providing important rest areas for migratory birds. Presqu'ile, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, is particularly significant in this regard. One unique feature of the lake

10464-477: The so-called Loch Ness Monster , being sighted in the lake. The creature is described as large with a long neck, green in colour, and generally causes a break in the surface waves. A series of trading posts were established by both the British and French, such as Fort Frontenac in 1673, Fort Oswego in 1722, and Fort Rouillé in 1750. As the easternmost and nearest lake to the Atlantic seaboard of Canada and

10573-506: The surfaces of rocks and plants, suspended in the water column, and in the sediments of the benthic and profundal zones. Other forms are also associated with the guts of lentic animals as parasites or in commensal relationships. Bacteria play an important role in system metabolism through nutrient recycling, which is discussed in the Trophic Relationships section. Algae, including both phytoplankton and periphyton , are

10682-444: The surrounding sediments. Fish size, mobility, and sensory capabilities allow them to exploit a broad prey base, covering multiple zonation regions. Like invertebrates, fish feeding habits can be categorized into guilds. In the pelagic zone, herbivores graze on periphyton and macrophytes or pick phytoplankton out of the water column. Carnivores include fishes that feed on zooplankton in the water column (zooplanktivores), insects at

10791-500: The surrounding system. Water can be heated or cooled through radiation at the surface and conduction to or from the air and surrounding substrate. Shallow ponds often have a continuous temperature gradient from warmer waters at the surface to cooler waters at the bottom. In addition, temperature fluctuations can vary greatly in these systems, both diurnally and seasonally. Temperature regimes are very different in large lakes. In temperate regions, for example, as air temperatures increase,

10900-446: The tilting amplifies this effect on the south shore, causing loss to property owners. The lake has a natural seiche rhythm of eleven minutes. The seiche effect normally is only about 3 ⁄ 4 inch (1.9 cm) but can be greatly amplified by earth movement, winds, and atmospheric pressure changes. Because of its great depth, the lake as a whole does not completely freeze in winter, but an ice sheet covering between 10% and 90% of

11009-739: The title of the Duke of Bronté held by Horatio Nelson . Bronte Creek in Ojibwe is "Eshkwesing-ziibi", "Esqui-sink", "Eshkwessing", "ishkwessin", and "Asquasing" ("that which lies at the end"). A village site associated with the Neutral people and located on the east bank of the creek, the Hood site, was excavated in 1977. Just south of the Queen Elizabeth Way at the Bronte Road exit,

11118-485: The total biomass of photosynthesizing cells, 2) the amount of light attenuating materials, and 3) the abundance and frequency range of light absorbing pigments (i.e. chlorophylls ) inside of photosynthesizing cells. The energy created by these primary producers is important for the community because it is transferred to higher trophic levels via consumption. The vast majority of bacteria in lakes and ponds obtain their energy by decomposing vegetation and animal matter. In

11227-506: The upwelling current between the two rotations. Objects with neutral buoyancy tend to be evenly distributed in the water column. This turbulence circulates nutrients in the water column, making it crucial for many pelagic species, however its effect on benthic and profundal organisms is minimal to non-existent, respectively. The degree of nutrient circulation is system specific, as it depends upon such factors as wind strength and duration, as well as lake or pool depth and productivity. Oxygen

11336-423: The water column by passively sinking to the darker lower depths during the day, and actively moving towards the surface during the night. Also, because conditions in a lentic system can be quite variable across seasons, zooplankton have the ability to switch from laying regular eggs to resting eggs when there is a lack of food, temperatures fall below 2 °C, or if predator abundance is high. These resting eggs have

11445-451: The water column. Similarly, non-reactive phosphorus in the sediment can be remineralized into the reactive form. Sediments are generally richer in phosphorus than lake water, however, indicating that this nutrient may have a long residency time there before it is remineralized and re-introduced to the system. Bacteria are present in all regions of lentic waters. Free-living forms are associated with decomposing organic material, biofilm on

11554-598: The water's surface, on benthic structures, or in the sediment ( insectivores ), and those that feed on other fish ( piscivores ). Fish that consume detritus and gain energy by processing its organic material are called detritivores . Omnivores ingest a wide variety of prey, encompassing floral, faunal, and detrital material. Finally, members of the parasitic guild acquire nutrition from a host species, usually another fish or large vertebrate. Fish taxa are flexible in their feeding roles, varying their diets with environmental conditions and prey availability. Many species also undergo

11663-450: The waters begin to mix again to create a uniform temperature, an event termed lake turnover . In the winter, inverse stratification occurs as water near the surface cools freezes, while warmer, but denser water remains near the bottom. A thermocline is established, and the cycle repeats. In exposed systems, wind can create turbulent, spiral-formed surface currents called Langmuir circulations . Exactly how these currents become established

11772-599: The watershed of Lake Ontario. The American shore is largely rural, with the exception of Rochester and the much smaller ports at Oswego and Sackets Harbor. The city of Syracuse is 40 miles (64 km) inland, connected to the lake by the New York State Canal System. Over 2 million people live in Lake Ontario's American watershed. Several islands exist in the lake, the largest of which being Wolfe Island . Nearly all of Lake Ontario's islands are on

11881-408: The westernmost part of Lake Ontario, has been identified as one of the most contaminated areas on Lake Ontario alongside other areas of concern on Great Lakes . However, a $ 150-million cleanup project had begun in 2016 and is expected to be completed by 2025. The name Ontario is derived from the Huron word Ontarí'io , which means "great lake". In Colonial times, the lake was also called Cataraqui ,

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