7. You are monitoring Birch Lake, a small northern Minnesota lake that has a healthy walleye population. Walleye prefer to feed on crayfish and snails. The lake you are monitoring has a pH of 7.3, so it is a little basic. Walleye can handle pH of 6.0 – 9.0. Crayfish can handle pH of 6.5 – 8.0. Snails can handle a pH of 6.4 – 8.0. The nearby Polymet Copper Mine, if approved, would potentially release acids into surrounding waters, bringing the pH of nearby lakes down to about 6.2 or so.

A. What species in this example would not survive in Birch Lake at a pH of 6.2?

B. Once those species die out, what will happen to the other species in this situation?

Question

7. You are monitoring Birch Lake, a small northern Minnesota lake that has a healthy walleye population. Walleye prefer to feed on crayfish and snails. The lake you are monitoring has a pH of 7.3, so it is a little basic. Walleye can handle pH of 6.0 – 9.0. Crayfish can handle pH of 6.5 – 8.0. Snails can handle a pH of 6.4 – 8.0. The nearby Polymet Copper Mine, if approved, would potentially release acids into surrounding waters, bringing the pH of nearby lakes down to about 6.2 or so.

A. What species in this example would not survive in Birch Lake at a pH of 6.2?

B. Once those species die out, what will happen to the other species in this situation?

ThisGirlPretty · Answer

@JustSaiyan

Vocaloid · Answer

the first one A is a purely mathematical question

Walleye can handle pH of 6.0 – 9.0. Crayfish can handle pH of 6.5 – 8.0. Snails can handle a pH of 6.4 – 8.0.

which species' range doesn't include 6.2?

Vocaloid · Answer

anyway, for B that's more of a scientific question but my best attempt is that there would be less competition for the same food sources to the populations of the other two might increase to a certain point

adovbush · Answer

Thanks