Application of the Ecosystem Assessment Model to Lake Norman, a Cooling Lake in North Carolina

摘要

Major state variables of interest to utilities and regulatory agencies are:temperature, dissolved oxygen, and fish community variables. In qualitative terms, temperature simulation was very accurate, dissolved oxygen simulation was accurate, and fish prediction was reasonably accurate. The need for more accurate fisheries data collected at monthly intervals was identified so that model predictions could be tested more rigorously. It was concluded that non-destructive sampling techniques were needed.nThe results justify the use of the EAM for assessment of power plant effects on new cooling lakes. Also, the stability and reasonableness of the results support the trophic niche structure and biological realism of the model and its incorporation of biological details of growth, feeding, and reproductive behavior.