Experimental Ecosystem Eutrophication Causes Offsetting Effects on Emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O from Agricultural Reservoirs

Despite decades of research and management efforts, eutrophication remains a persistent threat to inland waters. As nutrient pollution intensifies in the coming decades, the implications for aquatic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are poorly defined, particularly the responses of individual GHGs: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). The biogeochemical controls of each gas can differ, making it difficult to predict the overall effect of nutrient pollution on the net radiative forcing of aquatic ecosystems. Here, we induced eutrophication of small nitrogen (N)-limited agricultural reservoirs and measured changes in diffusive GHG emissions within a before-after-control-impact (BACI) study design during June to September 2021. Each gas exhibited a unique response to 300% increases in primary production, with a shift from an overall CO2 source to a sink, a modest increase in N2O flux, and, unexpectedly, no significant change in CH4 emissions. The lack of net directional change in CO2-equivalent GHG emissions in fertilized reservoirs during the summer contrasts findings from empirical studies of eutrophic lakes. Our findings illustrate the difficulty in extrapolating among different sized ecosystems and suggest that forecast 2-fold increases in agricultural N fertilization by 2050 may not result in consistently elevated GHG emissions during summer, at least from small reservoirs in continental grassland regions.

Salinity causes widespread restriction of methane emissions from small inland waters

Inland waters are one of the largest natural sources of methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, but emissions models and estimates were developed for solute-poor ecosystems and may not apply to salt-rich inland waters. Here we combine field surveys and eddy covariance measurements to show that salinity constrains microbial CH4 cycling through complex mechanisms, restricting aquatic emissions from one of the largest global hardwater regions (the Canadian Prairies). Existing models overestimated CH4 emissions from ponds and wetlands by up to several orders of magnitude, with discrepancies linked to salinity. While not significant for rivers and larger lakes, salinity interacted with organic matter availability to shape CH4 patterns in small lentic habitats. We estimate that excluding salinity leads to overestimation of emissions from small Canadian Prairie waterbodies by at least 81% ( ~ 1 Tg yr-1 CO2 equivalent), a quantity comparable to other major national emissions sources. Our findings are consistent with patterns in other hardwater landscapes, likely leading to an overestimation of global lentic CH4 emissions. Widespread salinization of inland waters may impact CH4 cycling and should be considered in future projections of aquatic emissions.

Impact of wastewater treatment upgrade and nitrogen removal on bacterial communities and their interactions in eutrophic prairie streams

Eutrophication can impact bacteria by altering fluxes and processing of nutrients and organic matter. However, relatively little is known of how bacterial communities, diversity, and interactions with phytoplankton might respond to nutrient management. We used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to compare bacterial assemblages in the water column upstream (control) and downstream (impact) of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located on a eutrophic prairie stream. Sampling occurred before (2012) and after (2018) the 2016 biological nutrient removal (BNR) upgrade that removed >90% of nitrogen (N, mainly NH4+). Multivariate ordination suggested that effluent-impacted bacterial communities were associated mainly with elevated NH4+ concentrations before the upgrade, whereas those after BNR were characteristic of reference systems (low NO3-, diverse regulation). Genera such as Betaproteobacteria and Rhodocyclacea were abundant at impacted sites in 2012, whereas Flavobacterium and a potential pathogen (Legionella) were common at impacted sites in 2018. Nitrifier bacteria (Nitrospira and Nitrosomonas) were present but rare at all sites in 2012, but recorded only downstream of the WWTP in 2018. Generalized additive models showed that BNR reduced bacterial diversity, with ∼70% of the deviance in diversity explained by hydrology, pH, nutrients, and phytoplankton abundance. Overall, NH4+ removal reduced symptoms of cultural eutrophication in microbe assemblages.

Controls of thermal response of temperate lakes to atmospheric warming

Atmospheric warming heats lakes, but the causes of variation among basins are poorly understood. Here, multi-decadal profiles of water temperatures, trophic state, and local climate from 345 temperate lakes are combined with data on lake geomorphology and watershed characteristics to identify controls of the relative rates of temperature change in water (WT) and air (AT) during summer. We show that differences in local climate (AT, wind speed, humidity, irradiance), land cover (forest, urban, agriculture), geomorphology (elevation, area/depth ratio), and water transparency explain >30% of the difference in rate of lake heating compared to that of the atmosphere. Importantly, the rate of lake heating slows as air warms (P < 0.001). Clear, cold, and deep lakes, especially at high elevation and in undisturbed catchments, are particularly responsive to changes in atmospheric temperature. We suggest that rates of surface water warming may decline relative to the atmosphere in a warmer future, particularly in sites already experiencing terrestrial development or eutrophication.

The varved succession of Crawford Lake, Milton, Ontario, Canada as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series

An annually laminated succession in Crawford Lake, Ontario, Canada is proposed for the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) to define the Anthropocene as a series/epoch with a base dated at 1950 CE. Varve couplets of organic matter capped by calcite precipitated each summer in alkaline surface waters reflect environmental change at global to local scales. Spheroidal carbonaceous particles and nitrogen isotopes record an increase in fossil fuel combustion in the early 1950s, coinciding with early fallout from nuclear and thermonuclear testing - 239+240Pu and 14C:12C, the latter more than compensating for the effects of old carbon in this dolomitic basin. Rapid industrial expansion in the North American Great Lakes region led to enhanced leaching of terrigenous elements by acid precipitation during the Great Acceleration, and calcite precipitation was reduced, producing thin calcite laminae around the GSSP that is marked by a sharp decline in elm pollen (Dutch Elm disease). The lack of bioturbation in well-oxygenated bottom waters, supported by the absence of fossil pigments from obligately anaerobic purple sulfur bacteria, is attributed to elevated salinities and high alkalinity below the chemocline. This aerobic depositional environment, highly unusual in a meromictic lake, inhibits the mobilization of Pu, the proposed primary stratigraphic guide for the Anthropocene.

Anthropogenic eutrophication of shallow lakes: Is it occasional?

Understanding and managing the susceptibility of lakes to anthropogenic eutrophication has been a primary goal of limnological research for decades. To achieve United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, scientists have attempted to understand why shallow lakes appear to be prone to eutrophication and resistant to restoration. A rich data base of 1151 lakes (each ≥ 0.5 km²) located within the Europe and the United States of America offers a rare opportunity to explore potential answers. Analysis of sites showed that lake depth integrated socio-ecological systems and reflected potential susceptibility to anthropogenic stressors, as well as lake productivity. In this study, lakes distributed in agricultural plain and densely populated lowland areas were generally shallow and subjected to intense human activities with high external nutrient inputs. In contrast, deep lakes frequently occurred in upland regions, dominated by natural landscapes with little anthropogenic nutrient input. Lake depth appeared to not only reflect external nutrient load to the lake, but also acted as an amplifier that increased shallow lake susceptibility to anthropogenic disturbance. Our findings suggest that shallow lakes are more susceptible to human forcing and their eutrophication may be not an occasional occurrence, and that societal expectations, policy goals, and management plans should reflect this observation.

Breathing space: deoxygenation of aquatic environments can drive differential ecological impacts across biological invasion stages

The influence of climate change on the ecological impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) remains understudied, with deoxygenation of aquatic environments often-overlooked as a consequence of climate change. Here, we therefore assessed how oxygen saturation affects the ecological impact of a predatory invasive fish, the Ponto-Caspian round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), relative to a co-occurring endangered European native analogue, the bullhead (Cottus gobio) experiencing decline in the presence of the IAS. In individual trials and mesocosms, we assessed the effect of high, medium and low (90%, 60% and 30%) oxygen saturation on: (1) functional responses (FRs) of the IAS and native, i.e. per capita feeding rates; (2) the impact on prey populations exerted; and (3) how combined impacts of both fishes change over invasion stages (Pre-invasion, Arrival, Replacement, Proliferation). Both species showed Type II potentially destabilising FRs, but at low oxygen saturation, the invader had a significantly higher feeding rate than the native. Relative Impact Potential, combining fish per capita effects and population abundances, revealed that low oxygen saturation exacerbates the high relative impact of the invader. The Relative Total Impact Potential (RTIP), modelling both consumer species’ impacts on prey populations in a system, was consistently higher at low oxygen saturation and especially high during invader Proliferation. In the mesocosm experiment, low oxygen lowered RTIP where both species were present, but again the IAS retained high relative impact during Replacement and Proliferation stages at low oxygen. We also found evidence of multiple predator effects, principally antagonism. We highlight the threat posed to native communities by IAS alongside climate-related stressors, but note that solutions may be available to remedy hypoxia and potentially mitigate impacts across invasion stages.

Global data set of long-term summertime vertical temperature profiles in 153 lakes

Climate change and other anthropogenic stressors have led to long-term changes in the thermal structure, including surface temperatures, deepwater temperatures, and vertical thermal gradients, in many lakes around the world. Though many studies highlight warming of surface water temperatures in lakes worldwide, less is known about long-term trends in full vertical thermal structure and deepwater temperatures, which have been changing less consistently in both direction and magnitude. Here, we present a globally-expansive data set of summertime in-situ vertical temperature profiles from 153 lakes, with one time series beginning as early as 1894. We also compiled lake geographic, morphometric, and water quality variables that can influence vertical thermal structure through a variety of potential mechanisms in these lakes. These long-term time series of vertical temperature profiles and corresponding lake characteristics serve as valuable data to help understand changes and drivers of lake thermal structure in a time of rapid global and ecological change.

Deeper waters are changing less consistently than surface waters in a global analysis of 102 lakes

Globally, lake surface water temperatures have warmed rapidly relative to air temperatures, but changes in deepwater temperatures and vertical thermal structure are still largely unknown. We have compiled the most comprehensive data set to date of long-term (1970–2009) summertime vertical temperature profiles in lakes across the world to examine trends and drivers of whole-lake vertical thermal structure. We found significant increases in surface water temperatures across lakes at an average rate of + 0.37 °C decade⁻¹, comparable to changes reported previously for other lakes, and similarly consistent trends of increasing water column stability (+ 0.08 kg m⁻³ decade⁻¹). In contrast, however, deepwater temperature trends showed little change on average (+ 0.06 °C decade⁻¹), but had high variability across lakes, with trends in individual lakes ranging from − 0.68 °C decade⁻¹ to + 0.65 °C decade⁻¹. The variability in deepwater temperature trends was not explained by trends in either surface water temperatures or thermal stability within lakes, and only 8.4% was explained by lake thermal region or local lake characteristics in a random forest analysis. These findings suggest that external drivers beyond our tested lake characteristics are important in explaining long-term trends in thermal structure, such as local to regional climate patterns or additional external anthropogenic influences.

Effects of a century of mining and industrial production on metal contamination of a model saline ecosystem, Great Salt Lake, Utah

Effects of mining and metals production have been reported in freshwater lake sediments from around the world but are rarely quantified in saline lake sediments, despite the importance of these lake ecosystems. Here we used dated sediment cores from Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA, a large saline lake adjacent to one of the world's largest copper mines, to measure historical changes in the deposition of 22 metals. Metal concentrations were low prior to the onset of mining in the catchment in 1860 CE. Concentrations of copper, lead, zinc, cadmium, mercury, and other metals began increasing in the late 1800s, with peaks in the 1950s, concomitant with enhanced mining and smelting activities. Sedimentary metal concentrations in the 1950s were 20-40-fold above background levels for copper, lead, silver, and molybdenum. Concentrations of most metals in surficial sediments have decreased 2-5-fold, reflecting: 1) storage and mineralization of sedimenting materials in a deep brine layer, thereby reducing metal transport to the sediments; 2) improved pollution control technologies, and; 3) reduction in mining activity beginning in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite reductions, concentrations of many metals in surficial sediments remain above acceptable contamination thresholds for aquatic ecosystems with migratory birds, and consumption advisories for mercury have been placed on three waterfowl species. The research also highlights that metal deposition in saline lakes is complicated by effects of hypersaline brines and deep-water anoxia in regulating sediment redox and release of metals to surface waters. Given the importance of saline lakes to migratory birds, metals contamination from mining and metals production should be a focus of saline lake remediation.

Nutrients and warming interact to force mountain lakes into unprecedented ecological states

While deposition of reactive nitrogen (N) in the twentieth century has been strongly linked to changes in diatom assemblages in high-elevation lakes, pronounced and contemporaneous changes in other algal groups suggest additional drivers. We explored the origin and magnitude of changes in two mountain lakes from the end of the Little Ice Age at ca 1850, to ca 2010, using lake sediments. We found dramatic changes in algal community abundance and composition. While diatoms remain the most abundant photosynthetic organisms, concentrations of diatom pigments decreased while pigments representing chlorophytes increased 200-300% since ca 1950 and total algal biomass more than doubled. Some algal changes began ca 1900 but shifts in most sedimentary proxies accelerated ca 1950 commensurate with many human-caused changes to the Earth System. In addition to N deposition, aeolian dust deposition may have contributed phosphorus. Strong increases in summer air and surface water temperatures since 1983 have direct and indirect consequences for high-elevation ecosystems. Such warming could have directly enhanced nutrient use and primary production. Indirect consequences of warming include enhanced leaching of nutrients from geologic and cryosphere sources, particularly as glaciers ablate. While we infer causal mechanisms, changes in primary producer communities appear to be without historical precedent and are commensurate with the post-1950 acceleration of global change.

Factors regulating primary producers' assemblages in Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile ecosystems over the past 1800 years

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile meadows are highly productive coastal marine ecosystems that provide multiple ecosystem services. The seagrass is not always the major contributor to total primary production, however, little is known about long-term changes in the composition of primary producers within seagrass meadows. Understanding compositional shifts within the community of primary producers is crucial to evaluate how climate and anthropogenic change affect the functioning of seagrass ecosystems. Here we analysed marker pigment composition in seagrass cores from two bays of the Cabrera Island (Balearic Islands, Spain) to asses long-term changes in phototrophic community composition and production in seagrass meadows, and identify the environmental factors triggering those changes. The proxy dataset was explored using principal component analyses (PCA): one including the pigment dataset to look for associations between producers' groups, and another one combining the pigment dataset with plausible local and global regulatory factors to assess the environmental drivers of change. Analyses of characteristic pigments and morphological fossils (cysts) showed that the abundance of dinoflagellates increased over the last 150-300 years, coeval with a rise in solar irradiance and air temperature. When compared among embayments, pigments from cyanobacteria predominated in seagrass meadows located at Es Port, a sheltered bay receiving higher terrestrial runoff; whereas pigments from diatoms, seagrasses and rodophytes were more common at Santa Maria, an exposed bay with clearer waters. Water depth also played a role in controlling the phototrophic community composition, with greater abundance of diatoms in the shallowest waters (<5 m). Overall, our results suggested that historical and spatial variation in seagrass meadows' phototrophic community composition was influenced by the interaction between local factors (catchment-bay characteristics) and global climate processes (energy influx). Together these patterns forecast how marine primary producers and seagrass ecosystem structure may respond to future global warming.

Unabated Nitrogen Pollution Favors Growth of Toxic Cyanobacteria over Chlorophytes in Most Hypereutrophic Lakes

Human release of reactive nitrogen (N) to the environment has increased 10-fold since 1860 and is expected to increase by a further ∼75% by 2050. Much of this N enters phosphorus (P)-rich, eutrophic lakes in agricultural and urbanized watersheds. While N pollution of eutrophic lakes can promote toxic cyanobacterial growth, some cases of extreme N loading have led to the dominance of chlorophytes (green algae). As N loads required to shift communities from cyanobacterial to chlorophyte dominance are unclear, we experimentally tested phytoplankton responses to a gradient of N loading in a P-rich lake. Low-to-moderate doses (1-3 mg N L^-1 week^-1) promoted toxic cyanobacterial dominance and elevated concentrations of the hepatotoxin microcystin. Conversely, loads characteristic of pure urban or agricultural effluents (up to 18 mg N L^-1 week^-1) led to the dominance of chlorophytes over cyanobacteria and lower microcystin content. This indicates that N loads needed to sustain chlorophyte dominance are uncommon, likely restricted to select shallow lakes directly exposed to urban or agricultural effluents. As most N pollution regimes in P-rich lakes will favor toxic cyanobacterial dominance, restricting future N pollution will help curb further cyanobacterial dominance in lakes both directly and by constraining the capacity for future P loading and climate warming to drive cyanobacterial growth.

Widespread nitrous oxide undersaturation in farm waterbodies creates an unexpected greenhouse gas sink

Nitrogen pollution and global eutrophication are predicted to increase nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from freshwater ecosystems. Surface waters within agricultural landscapes experience the full impact of these pressures and can contribute substantially to total landscape N2O emissions. However, N2O measurements to date have focused on flowing waters. Small artificial waterbodies remain greatly understudied in the context of agricultural N2O emissions. This study provides a regional analysis of N2O measurements in small (<0.01 km2) artificial reservoirs, of which an estimated 16 million exist globally. We show that 67% of reservoirs were N2O sinks (-12 to -2 μmol N2O⋅m-2⋅d-1) in Canada's largest agricultural area, despite their highly eutrophic status [99 ± 289 µg⋅L-1 chlorophyll-a (Chl-a)]. Generalized additive models indicated that in situ N2O concentrations were strongly and nonlinearly related to stratification strength and dissolved inorganic nitrogen content, with the lowest N2O levels under conditions of strong water column stability and high algal biomass. Predicted fluxes from previously published models based on lakes, reservoirs, and agricultural waters overestimated measured fluxes on average by 7- to 33-fold, challenging the widely held view that eutrophic N-enriched waters are sources of N2O.

Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones

River ecosystems receive and process vast quantities of terrestrial organic carbon, the fate of which depends strongly on microbial activity. Variation in and controls of processing rates, however, are poorly characterized at the global scale. In response, we used a peer-sourced research network and a highly standardized carbon processing assay to conduct a global-scale field experiment in greater than 1000 river and riparian sites. We found that Earth's biomes have distinct carbon processing signatures. Slow processing is evident across latitudes, whereas rapid rates are restricted to lower latitudes. Both the mean rate and variability decline with latitude, suggesting temperature constraints toward the poles and greater roles for other environmental drivers (e.g., nutrient loading) toward the equator. These results and data set the stage for unprecedented "next-generation biomonitoring" by establishing baselines to help quantify environmental impacts to the functioning of ecosystems at a global scale.

Regional versus local drivers of water quality in the Windermere catchment, Lake District, United Kingdom: The dominant influence of wastewater pollution over the past 200 years

Freshwater ecosystems are threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors acting over different spatial and temporal scales, resulting in toxic algal blooms, reduced water quality and hypoxia. However, while catchment characteristics act as a 'filter' modifying lake response to disturbance, little is known of the relative importance of different drivers and possible differentiation in the response of upland remote lakes in comparison to lowland, impacted lakes. Moreover, many studies have focussed on single lakes rather than looking at responses across a set of individual, yet connected lake basins. Here we used sedimentary algal pigments as an index of changes in primary producer assemblages over the last ~200 years in a northern temperate watershed consisting of 11 upland and lowland lakes within the Lake District, United Kingdom, to test our hypotheses about landscape drivers. Specifically, we expected that the magnitude of change in phototrophic assemblages would be greatest in lowland rather than upland lakes due to more intensive human activities in the watersheds of the former (agriculture, urbanization). Regional parameters, such as climate dynamics, would be the predominant factors regulating lake primary producers in remote upland lakes and thus, synchronize the dynamic of primary producer assemblages in these basins. We found broad support for the hypotheses pertaining to lowland sites as wastewater treatment was the main predictor of changes to primary producer assemblages in lowland lakes. In contrast, upland headwaters responded weakly to variation in atmospheric temperature, and dynamics in primary producers across upland lakes were asynchronous. Collectively, these findings show that nutrient inputs from point sources overwhelm climatic controls of algae and nuisance cyanobacteria, but highlights that large-scale stressors do not always initiate coherent regional lake response. Furthermore, a lake's position in its landscape, its connectivity and proximity to point nutrients are important determinants of changes in production and composition of phototrophic assemblages.

Daphniid zooplankton assemblage shifts in response to eutrophication and metal contamination during the Anthropocene

Human activities during the Anthropocene result in habitat degradation that has been associated with biodiversity loss and taxonomic homogenization of ecological communities. Here we estimated effects of eutrophication and heavy metal contamination, separately and in combination, in explaining zooplankton species composition during the past 125-145 years using analysis of daphniid diapausing egg banks from four lakes in the northeastern USA. We then examined how these community shifts influenced patterns of diversity and homogenization. Analysis of past lake production (via subfossil pigments) and metal contamination (via sedimentary metals) demonstrated that eutrophication alone (19-39%) and in combination with metal pollution (17-54%) explained 36-79% of historical variation in daphniid species relative abundances in heavily fertilized lakes. In contrast, metal pollution alone explained the majority (72%) of historical variation in daphniid assemblages at the oligotrophic site. Several species colonization events in eutrophying lakes resulted in increased species richness and gamma diversity through time. At the same time, daphniid assemblages in three eutrophied lakes became more similar to each other (homogenized), but this pattern was only seen when accounting for species presence/absence. We did not observe consistent patterns of divergence between the assemblages in the eutrophying lakes and the low-nutrient reference site. Given the pervasive nature of fertilization and metal pollution, and the sensitivity of cladocerans to these factors, we suggest that many inhabited lake districts may already exhibit similar patterns of daphniid assemblage shifts.

Effects of experimental nitrogen fertilization on planktonic metabolism and CO2 flux in a hypereutrophic hardwater lake

Hardwater lakes are common in human-dominated regions of the world and often experience pollution due to agricultural and urban effluent inputs of inorganic and organic nitrogen (N). Although these lakes are landscape hotspots for CO₂ exchange and food web carbon (C) cycling, the effect of N enrichment on hardwater lake food web functioning and C cycling patterns remains unclear. Specifically, it is unknown if different eutrophication scenarios (e.g., modest non point vs. extreme point sources) yield consistent effects on auto- and heterotrophic C cycling, or how biotic responses interact with the inorganic C system to shape responses of air-water CO₂ exchange. To address this uncertainty, we induced large metabolic gradients in the plankton community of a hypereutrophic hardwater Canadian prairie lake by adding N as urea (the most widely applied agricultural fertilizer) at loading rates of 0, 1, 3, 8 or 18 mg N L^-1 week^-1 to 3240-L, in-situ mesocosms. Over three separate 21-day experiments, all treatments of N dramatically increased phytoplankton biomass and gross primary production (GPP) two- to six-fold, but the effects of N on autotrophs plateaued at ~3 mg N L^-1. Conversely, heterotrophic metabolism increased linearly with N fertilization over the full treatment range. In nearly all cases, N enhanced net planktonic uptake of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and increased the rate of CO₂ influx, while planktonic heterotrophy and CO₂ production only occurred in the highest N treatments late in each experiment, and even in these cases, enclosures continued to in-gas CO₂. Chemical effects on CO₂ through calcite precipitation were also observed, but similarly did not change the direction of net CO₂ flux. Taken together, these results demonstrate that atmospheric exchange of CO₂ in eutrophic hardwater lakes remains sensitive to increasing N loading and eutrophication, and that even modest levels of N pollution are capable of enhancing autotrophy and CO₂ in-gassing in P-rich lake ecosystems.

Bias in Research Grant Evaluation Has Dire Consequences for Small Universities

Federal funding for basic scientific research is the cornerstone of societal progress, economy, health and well-being. There is a direct relationship between financial investment in science and a nation's scientific discoveries, making it a priority for governments to distribute public funding appropriately in support of the best science. However, research grant proposal success rate and funding level can be skewed toward certain groups of applicants, and such skew may be driven by systemic bias arising during grant proposal evaluation and scoring. Policies to best redress this problem are not well established. Here, we show that funding success and grant amounts for applications to Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant program (2011-2014) are consistently lower for applicants from small institutions. This pattern persists across applicant experience levels, is consistent among three criteria used to score grant proposals, and therefore is interpreted as representing systemic bias targeting applicants from small institutions. When current funding success rates are projected forward, forecasts reveal that future science funding at small schools in Canada will decline precipitously in the next decade, if skews are left uncorrected. We show that a recently-adopted pilot program to bolster success by lowering standards for select applicants from small institutions will not erase funding skew, nor will several other post-evaluation corrective measures. Rather, to support objective and robust review of grant applications, it is necessary for research councils to address evaluation skew directly, by adopting procedures such as blind review of research proposals and bibliometric assessment of performance. Such measures will be important in restoring confidence in the objectivity and fairness of science funding decisions. Likewise, small institutions can improve their research success by more strongly supporting productive researchers and developing competitive graduate programming opportunities.

Identifying consumer-resource population dynamics using paleoecological data

Ecologists have long been fascinated by cyclic population fluctuations, because they suggest strong interactions between exploiter and victim species. Nonetheless, even for populations showing high-amplitude fluctuations, it is often hard to identify which species are the key drivers of the dynamics, because data are generally only available for a single species. Here, we use a paleoecological approach to investigate fluctuations in the midge population in Lake Mývatn, Iceland, which ranges over several orders of magnitude in irregular, multigeneration cycles. Previous circumstantial evidence points to consumer-resource interactions between midges and their primary food, diatoms, as the cause of these high-amplitude fluctuations. Using a pair of sediment cores from the lake, we reconstructed 26 years of dynamics of midges using egg remains and of algal groups using diagnostic pigments. We analyzed these data using statistical methods that account for both the autocorrelated nature of paleoecological data and measurement error caused by the mixing of sediment layers. The analyses revealed a signature of consumer-resource interactions in the fluctuations of midges and diatoms: diatom abundance (as inferred from biomarker pigment diatoxanthin) increased when midge abundance was low, and midge abundance (inferred from egg capsules) decreased when diatom abundance was low. Similar patterns were not found for pigments characterizing the other dominant primary producer group in the lake (cyanobacteria), subdominant algae (cryptophytes), or ubiquitous but chemically unstable biomarkers of total algal abundance (chlorophyll a); however, a significant but weaker pattern was found for the chemically stable indicator of total algal populations (β-carotene) to which diatoms are the dominant contributor. These analyses provide the first paleoecological evaluation of specific trophic interactions underlying high amplitude population fluctuations in lakes.

Impacts of forestry planting on primary production in upland lakes from north-west Ireland

Planted forests are increasing in many upland regions worldwide, but knowledge about their potential effects on algal communities of catchment lakes is relatively unknown. Here, the effects of afforestation were investigated using palaeolimnology at six upland lake sites in the north-west of Ireland subject to different extents of forest plantation cover (4-64% of catchment area). (210)Pb-dated sediment cores were analysed for carotenoid pigments from algae, stable isotopes of bulk carbon (δ(13)C) and nitrogen (δ(15)N), and C/N ratios. In lakes with >50% of their catchment area covered by plantations, there were two- to sixfold increases in pigments from cryptophytes (alloxanthin) and significant but lower increases (39-116%) in those from colonial cyanobacteria (canthaxanthin), but no response from biomarkers of total algal abundance (β-carotene). In contrast, lakes in catchments with <20% afforestation exhibited no consistent response to forestry practices, although all lakes exhibited fluctuations in pigments and geochemical variables due to peat cutting and upland grazing prior to forest plantation. Taken together, patterns suggest that increases in cyanobacteria and cryptophyte abundance reflect a combination of mineral and nutrient enrichment associated with forest fertilization and organic matter influx which may have facilitated growth of mixotrophic taxa. This study demonstrates that planted forests can alter the abundance and community structure of algae in upland humic lakes of Ireland and Northern Ireland, despite long histories of prior catchment disturbance.

Asynchronous onset of eutrophication among shallow prairie lakes of the Northern Great Plains, Alberta, Canada

Coherent timing of agricultural expansion, fertilizer application, atmospheric nutrient deposition, and accelerated global warming is expected to promote synchronous fertilization of regional surface waters and coherent development of algal blooms and lake eutrophication. While broad-scale cyanobacterial expansion is evident in global meta-analyses, little is known of whether lakes in discrete catchments within a common lake district also exhibit coherent water quality degradation through anthropogenic forcing. Consequently, the primary goal of this study was to determine whether agricultural development since ca. 1900, accelerated use of fertilizer since 1960, atmospheric deposition of reactive N, or regional climate warming has resulted in coherent patterns of eutrophication of surface waters in southern Alberta, Canada. Unexpectedly, analysis of sedimentary pigments as an index of changes in total algal abundance since ca. 1850 revealed that while total algal abundance (as β-carotene, pheophytin a) increased in nine of 10 lakes over 150 years, the onset of eutrophication varied by a century and was asynchronous across basins. Similarly, analysis of temporal sequences with least-squares regression revealed that the relative abundance of cyanobacteria (echinenone) either decreased or did not change significantly in eight of the lakes since ca. 1850, whereas purple sulfur bacteria (as okenone) increased significantly in seven study sites. These patterns are consistent with the catchment filter hypothesis, which posits that lakes exhibit unique responses to common forcing associated with the influx of mass as water, nutrients, or particles.

Acceleration of cyanobacterial dominance in north temperate-subarctic lakes during the Anthropocene

Increases in atmospheric temperature and nutrients from land are thought to be promoting the expansion of harmful cyanobacteria in lakes worldwide, yet to date there has been no quantitative synthesis of long-term trends. To test whether cyanobacteria have increased in abundance over the past ~ 200 years and evaluate the relative influence of potential causal mechanisms, we synthesised 108 highly resolved sedimentary time series and 18 decadal-scale monitoring records from north temperate-subarctic lakes. We demonstrate that: (1) cyanobacteria have increased significantly since c. 1800 ce, (2) they have increased disproportionately relative to other phytoplankton, and (3) cyanobacteria increased more rapidly post c. 1945 ce. Variation among lakes in the rates of increase was explained best by nutrient concentration (phosphorus and nitrogen), and temperature was of secondary importance. Although cyanobacterial biomass has declined in some managed lakes with reduced nutrient influx, the larger spatio-temporal scale of sedimentary records show continued increases in cyanobacteria throughout the north temperate-subarctic regions.

Effects of drought and pluvial periods on fish and zooplankton communities in prairie lakes: systematic and asystematic responses

The anticipated impacts of climate change on aquatic biota are difficult to evaluate because of potentially contrasting effects of temperature and hydrology on lake ecosystems, particularly those closed-basin lakes within semiarid regions. To address this shortfall, we quantified decade-scale changes in chemical and biological properties of 20 endorheic lakes in central North America in response to a pronounced transition from a drought to a pluvial period during the early 21st century. Lakes exhibited marked temporal changes in chemical characteristics and formed two discrete clusters corresponding to periods of substantially different effective moisture (as Palmer Drought Severity Index, PDSI). Discriminant function analysis (DFA) explained 90% of variability in fish assemblage composition and showed that fish communities were predicted best by environmental conditions during the arid interval (PDSI <-2). DFA also predicted that lakes could support more fish species during pluvial periods, but their occurrences may be limited by periodic stress due to recurrent droughts and physical barriers to colonization. Zooplankton taxonomic assemblages in fishless lakes were resilient to short-term changes in meteorological conditions, and did not vary between drought and deluge periods. Conversely, zooplankton taxa in fish-populated lakes decreased substantially in biomass during the wet interval, likely due to increased zooplanktivory by fish. The powerful effects of such climatic variability on hydrology and the strong subsequent links to water chemistry and biota indicate that future changes in global climate could result in significant restructuring of aquatic communities. Together these findings suggest that semiarid lakes undergoing temporary climate shifts provide a useful model system for anticipating the effects of global climate change on lake food webs.

Phytoplankton-specific response to enrichment of phosphorus-rich surface waters with ammonium, nitrate, and urea

Supply of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) to the biosphere has tripled since 1960; however, little is known of how in situ response to N fertilisation differs among phytoplankton, whether species response varies with the chemical form of N, or how interpretation of N effects is influenced by the method of analysis (microscopy, pigment biomarkers). To address these issues, we conducted two 21-day in situ mesocosm (3140 L) experiments to quantify the species- and genus-specific responses of phytoplankton to fertilisation of P-rich lake waters with ammonium (NH₄⁺), nitrate (NO₃⁻), and urea ([NH₂]₂CO). Phytoplankton abundance was estimated using both microscopic enumeration of cell densities and high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of algal pigments. We found that total algal biomass increased 200% and 350% following fertilisation with NO₃⁻ and chemically-reduced N (NH₄⁺, urea), respectively, although 144 individual taxa exhibited distinctive responses to N, including compound-specific stimulation (Planktothrix agardhii and NH₄⁺), increased biomass with chemically-reduced N alone (Scenedesmus spp., Coelastrum astroideum) and no response (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Ceratium hirundinella). Principle components analyses (PCA) captured 53.2–69.9% of variation in experimental assemblages irrespective of the degree of taxonomic resolution of analysis. PCA of species-level data revealed that congeneric taxa exhibited common responses to fertilisation regimes (e.g., Microcystis aeruginosa, M. flos-aquae, M. botrys), whereas genera within the same division had widely divergent responses to added N (e.g., Anabaena, Planktothrix, Microcystis). Least-squares regression analysis demonstrated that changes in phytoplankton biomass determined by microscopy were correlated significantly (p<0.005) with variations in HPLC-derived concentrations of biomarker pigments (r² = 0.13–0.64) from all major algal groups, although HPLC tended to underestimate the relative abundance of cyanobacteria. Together, these findings show that while fertilisation of P-rich lakes with N can increase algal biomass, there is substantial variation in responses of genera and divisions to specific chemical forms of added N.

Differential effects of energy and mass influx on the landscape synchrony of lake ecosystems

Interannual variation of 45 annually resolved time series of environmental, limnological, and biotic parameters was quantified (1994-2009) in six lakes within 52,000 km2 to test the hypothesis that influx of energy (E; as irradiance, heat, wind) varies synchronously among sites and induces temporal coherence in lakes and their food webs, whereas influx of mass (m; as water, solutes, particles) reduces synchrony because local catchments uniquely modify hydrologic inputs. Overall, 82% of parameters exhibited significant (P < 0.05) synchrony (S) estimated as mean pair-wise correlation of Z-transformed time series. Influx of E as atmospheric heat and irradiance was both more highly synchronous and less temporally variable (months-to-decades) than influx of m as summer precipitation, snow, or river discharge. Similarly, S of limnological parameters varied from 0.08 to 0.85, with variables known to be regulated by E influx (ice melt, gas solubility) up to twofold more coherent than those regulated by m inputs (organic solutes). Pairs of variables linked by simple direct mechanisms exhibited similar S values (air temperature and ice melt, nutrients and algae), whereas the coherence of other parameters (water temperature, mixing) was intermediate to that of multiple regulatory agents. Overall, aggregate measures of plankton density varied more coherently among lakes than did constituent taxa. These findings suggest that environmental variability is transmitted to most levels of aquatic ecosystems, but that the precise effects depend on whether E or m fluxes predominate, the coherence of each forcing mechanism, and the strength of linkages between exogenous forcing and lake response.

Exploitation and destabilization of a warm, freshwater ecosystem through engineered hydrological change

Exploitation of freshwater resources is having catastrophic effects on the ecological dynamics, stability, and quality of those water resources on a global scale, especially in arid and semiarid regions. Lake Kinneret, Israel (the Biblical Sea of Galilee), the only major natural freshwater lake in the Middle East, has been transformed functionally into a reservoir over the course of approximately 70 years of hydrological alterations aimed mostly at producing electrical power and increasing domestic and agricultural water supply. Historical changes in lake chemistry and biology were reconstructed using analysis of sedimentary nutrient content, stable and radioisotope composition, biochemical and morphological fossils from algae, remains of aquatic invertebrates, and chemical indices of past light regimes. Together, these paleolimnological analyses of the lake's bottom sediments revealed that this transformation has been accompanied by acceleration in the rate of eutrophication, as indicated by increased accumulation rates of phosphorus, nitrogen, organic matter, phytoplankton and bacterial pigments, and remains of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Substantial increases in these indices of eutrophication coincide with periods of increased water-level fluctuations and drainage of a major upstream wetland in the early to middle 20th century and suggest that management of the lake for increased water supply has degraded water quality to the point that ecosystem stability and sustainability are threatened. Such destabilization may be a model for eutrophication of freshwater lakes in other arid regions of the world in which management emphasizes water quantity over quality.

Changes in nitrogen cycling during the past century in a northern hardwood forest

Nitrogen (N) availability, defined here as the supply of N to terrestrial plants and soil microorganisms relative to their N demands, limits the productivity of many temperate zone forests and in part determines ecosystem carbon (C) content. Despite multidecadal monitoring of N in streams, the long-term record of N availability in forests of the northeastern United States is largely unknown. Therefore, although these forests have been receiving anthropogenic N deposition for the past few decades, it is still uncertain whether terrestrial N availability has changed during this time and, subsequently, whether forest ecosystems have responded to increased N deposition. Here, we used stable N isotopes in tree rings and lake sediments to demonstrate that N availability in a northeastern forest has declined over the past 75 years, likely because of ecosystem recovery from Euro-American land use. Forest N availability has only recently returned to levels forecast from presettlement trajectories, rendering the trajectory of future forest N cycling uncertain. Our results suggest that chronic disturbances caused by humans, especially logging and agriculture, are major drivers of terrestrial N cycling in forest ecosystems today, even a century after cessation.

Historical metal concentrations in lacustrine food webs revealed using fossil ephippia from Daphnia

Metal contamination of freshwater ecosystems is increasingly prevalent due to anthropogenic activities such as metal smelting and fossil fuel combustion. While toxicological studies focus on aqueous metal concentrations that result in lethal or sublethal responses, currently the only method for reconstructing a lake's metal contamination history is through an examination of the sedimentary deposits. In this paper, we suggest that cladoceran diapausing eggs (ephippia), which are abundant in nature and accumulate maternally derived metals, can be used to measure historical variations in biologically relevant metals that derive from the water column (water, diet). Linear regressions of total metal content against ephippia density or mass were strong (R2 > 0.80, P < 0.04) and revealed that metals were incorporated into ephippia with little contamination from the sediment matrix. Comparison of metal concentrations in ephippia and bulk sediments from three lakes demonstrated that some metals associated with urban sources (Cd, Cr, Mo) were preferentially concentrated in ephippia, whereas concentrations of other metals indicating landscape erosion (Al, Ca, Fe, Mn) exhibited greater concentrations in bulk sediments than in diapausing eggs. Because historical changes in metals within fossils and bulk sediments were uncorrelated in most instances, past variation in the metal content of ephippia provided a unique history of food web exposure to metals in the water column.

CENTURY-LONG SYNCHRONY OF FOSSIL ALGAE IN A CHAIN OF CANADIAN PRAIRIE LAKES

Synchronous fluctuations in limnological variables among lakes may signal that large-scale environmental factors regulate lake ecosystem structure, yet most estimates of temporal coherence are based on short (<25 yr) time series, and little is known of how synchrony varies among biological taxa or of the causes of temporal coherence. Here we used time series of 13 fossil pigments from diverse algal groups in seven lakes of the climatically sensitive Northern Great Plains to demonstrate that algal synchrony (S) during the 20th century arose mainly from interdecadal increases in algal abundance rather than from interannual coherence. Synchrony of time series differed greatly among algal taxonomic groups (S = 0.0-0.75) and was not usually spatially structured, but decreased 83% following removal of long-term trends using exponential models or first-difference calculations. Overall, coherence was greatest for labile compounds chl a (S = 0.53) and fucoxanthin (S = 0.75), possibly reflecting the influence of postdepositional degradation processes on fossil time series. However, analysis of chemically stable pigments also indicated that synchrony was great for cryptophytes (as alloxanthin, S = 0.42) and diatoms (diatoxanthin, S = 0.37), taxa that bloom in spring. In contrast, synchrony of total algal abundance was low (beta-carotene, pheophytin a, S < 0.10), reflecting low interannual coherence of summer taxa including colonial cyanobacteria and chlorophytes. Unexpectedly, past variations in climate, resource use, and urbanization explained >85% of algal variation in individual lakes, but only 35% of synchronous algal fluctuations, suggesting that the factors controlling algal synchrony differ from those regulating algal abundance.

A reevaluation of the cultural eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee using multiproxy sediment records

Lake Okeechobee, the hydrological lynchpin of the Everglades ecosystem, is the subject of an ambitious, multiagency restoration effort aimed at reducing phosphorus inputs and resulting algal blooms and impaired water clarity. This restoration is predicated on returning the lake to something closer to its predisturbance condition, but that goal has been challenged on the premise that the lake has always been eutrophic. The resolution of this debate and the appropriateness of the nutrient reduction goals thus depend on obtaining a reliable sediment record of past limnological conditions--the aim of this study. Because of the potential for severe sediment mixing from tropical storms, this investigation used multiple dating tools to examine the integrity of the sediment record and then analyzed proxies for nutrient enrichment, phytoplankton composition, and paleoproductivity. Sediment profiles for atmospheric pollutants, fertilizer contaminants, and radiocesium from three widely spaced cores showed good preservation of stratigraphic detail and coherence with the 210Pb chronologies. These results demonstrated that sediment stratigraphy is largely intact and retains a reliable record of limnological change. Geochemical proxies provide strong evidence of increased nutrient loading beginning ca. 1950. Concentrations of sediment P double, and N:P and C:N ratios drop, while those for N isotopes (delta15N) increase. At the same time, tracers of phosphate fertilizers (uranium, vanadium, and arsenic) rise. These changes are synchronous among cores and constitute a robust, internally consistent record of increasing water-column P. Biotic responses are manifested in higher concentrations and in changing composition of fossil algal pigments, including (1) large increases in the concentrations of chemically robust carotenoids, (2) corresponding decreases in the ratios of pigments from diatoms to chlorophyte and cyanobacterial algae, and (3) increases in UVR-photo-protective compounds indicating greater prevalence of surface algal blooms. This study provides strong evidence that Lake Okeechobee has experienced accelerated eutrophication linked with post-1950s land use changes in its watershed, a conclusion consistent with the nutrient reduction goals of the Lake Okeechobee Protection Program. The results contradict recent claims that the lake's trophic state has not changed over time, as well as the assertion that sediments of large shallow lakes cannot support a reliable chronology of past events.

Effects of historical lake level and land use on sediment and phosphorus accumulation rates in Lake Kinneret

Current paradigms of reservoir ontogeny suggest that water-level fluctuations may increase sedimentary nutrient release, causing long-term eutrophication of water bodies formed by dryland flooding. Less is known of the changes in nutrient status following conversion of natural lakes into reservoirs. Here, we use historical hydrological and limnological data and paleolimnological records of sedimentary P accumulation to evaluate changes in nutrient storage in Lake Kinneret, Israel since approximately 1860. Impoundment in 1932 increased water level fluctuations and altered seasonal hydrologic patterns in the lake. Geochemical analysis of sediment deposits indicated that bulk sediment and P accumulation rates in the central lake increased >600% following dam installation (1930s), draining of Lake Hula wetlands (1951-1957), and diversion of surface water outflow (1964 to present). Further, comparison of sedimentary P stratigraphies with long-term chemical records showed that the period of maximum P deposition corresponds to observed increases in whole-lake and in hypolimnetic P content, as well as epilimnetic biological changes indicative of ongoing eutrophication. Together, these patterns suggest that hydrologic management of natural lakes can increase sedimentary nutrient flux under circumstances where lake volume and water levels become more variable.

Hydrocarbons in Lake Washington sediments. A 25-year retrospective in an urban lake

Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and stable and radiocarbon isotope distributions are compared for dated cores from the 1970s and 2000 for a 25-year retrospective in Lake Washington, Seattle, WA (USA). Contamination of Lake Washington sediments by petrogenic aliphatic hydrocarbons and pyrolytic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons via atmospheric deposition and stormwater runoff peaked between the 1950s and 1970s and has since decreased as stormwater inputs have been reduced. Radiocarbon signatures (delta14C, per 1000) of total organic carbon decrease (increased "age") in the depth interval of highest hydrocarbon concentration. Graphitic black carbon in the year 2000 core showed a historical profile similar to that of the PAH; however high background sediments deposited before the founding of Seattle indicates a considerable nonindustrial component derived from weathering in the watershed. Unlike hydrocarbon contamination, input of terrestrial organic matter (tracked by long-chain fatty alcohols) has increased throughout the late 20th century, documenting a shift in pollutant sources away from hydrocarbons and toward anthropogenic erosion of the region's soils.

Lake sediments record large-scale shifts in moisture regimes across the northern prairies of North America during the past two millennia

Six high-resolution climatic reconstructions, based on diatom analyses from lake sediment cores from the northern prairies of North America, show that shifts in drought conditions on decadal through multicentennial scales have prevailed in this region for at least the last two millennia. The predominant broad-scale pattern seen at all sites is a major shift in moisture regimes from wet to dry, or vice versa (depending on location), that occurred after a period of relative stability. These large-scale shifts at the different sites exhibit spatial coherence at regional scales. The three Canadian sites record this abrupt shift between anno Domini 500 and 800, and subsequently conditions become increasingly variable. All three U.S. sites underwent a pronounced change, but the timing of this change is between anno Domini 1000 and 1300, thus later than in all of the Canadian sites. The mechanisms behind these patterns are poorly understood, but they are likely related to changes in the shape and location of the jet stream and associated storm tracks. If the patterns seen at these sites are representative of the region, this observed pattern can have huge implications for future water availability in this region.

History and timing of human impact on Lake Victoria, East Africa

Lake Victoria, the largest tropical lake in the world, suffers from severe eutrophication and the probable extinction of up to half of its 500+ species of endemic cichlid fishes. The continuing degradation of Lake Victoria's ecological functions has serious long-term consequences for the ecosystem services it provides, and may threaten social welfare in the countries bordering its shores. Evaluation of recent ecological changes in the context of aquatic food-web alterations, catchment disturbance and natural ecosystem variability has been hampered by the scarcity of historical monitoring data. Here, we present high-resolution palaeolimnological data, which show that increases in phytoplankton production developed from the 1930s onwards, which parallels human-population growth and agricultural activity in the Lake Victoria drainage basin. Dominance of bloom-forming cyanobacteria since the late 1980s coincided with a relative decline in diatom growth, which can be attributed to the seasonal depletion of dissolved silica resulting from 50 years of enhanced diatom growth and burial. Eutrophication-induced loss of deep-water oxygen started in the early 1960s, and may have contributed to the 1980s collapse of indigenous fish stocks by eliminating suitable habitat for certain deep-water cichlids. Conservation of Lake Victoria as a functioning ecosystem is contingent upon large-scale implementation of improved land-use practices.

Prognostic significance of early response to a single dose of asparaginase in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

PURPOSE

The in vitro and in vivo efficacy of a single dose of asparaginase in children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the correlation between in vitro and in vivo antileukemic response and long-term outcome were prospectively evaluated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Two hundred fifty-one patients were randomized to receive 1 of 3 asparaginase preparations (Escherichia coli, Erwinia chrysanthemi [Erwinia], or pegaspargase). In vitro assessment of efficacy was expressed as the percent total cell kill (TCK), based on the number of viable cells found after 5 days of culture in the presence of asparaginase. In vivo leukemia cell kill (LCK) was calculated by comparing bone marrow cellularity and percent leukemic blasts in marrow obtained before and 5 days after treatment with a single dose of asparaginase. Acute toxicity was determined by clinical and laboratory assessment.

RESULTS

There was equivalent cell kill with all three types of asparaginase. The mean in vitro TCKs for E. coli, Erwinia, and pegaspargase were 31%, 39%, and 36%, respectively (P = 0.63). The mean LCKs in marrow of patients exposed to E. coli, Erwinia, and pegaspargase were 69%, 74%, and 65%, respectively (P = 0.88). The lack of response to asparaginase in vitro predicted a higher risk for clinical relapse regardless of risk assignment (12 leukemic events among 21 in vitro nonresponders; 57%, P < 0.001). There was no difference in acute toxicity among the three asparaginase preparations.

CONCLUSIONS

All three asparaginase preparations produced equivalent LCKs in in vitro and in vivo analyses. In vitro response to asparaginase provided a risk group-independent prognostic factor.

Autologous and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for poor prognosis patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Twenty patients with poor prognosis B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) underwent uniform high-dose chemoradiotherapy followed by rescue with multiple monoclonal antibody-purged autologous bone marrow (BM) (12 patients) or T-cell-depleted allogeneic BM from HLA-identical siblings (8 patients) in a pilot study to assess the feasibility of BM transplantation (BMT) in this disease. All had poor prognosis disease by either staging, BM pattern, tumor doubling time criteria, or cytogenetics. All patients achieved remission criteria (defined as < or = 2 adenopathy, absence of splenomegaly, < or = 20% of the intertrabecular space involved on BM biopsy) before BMT. Despite the use of fludarabine, a median of three treatment regimens were required to achieve BMT eligibility. After BMT, all patients achieved complete hematologic engraftment. Toxicities were not significantly different between autologous versus allogeneic BMT. Two toxic deaths were observed. Of 19 evaluable patients, 17 clinical complete clinical remissions (89%) were observed, with 2 patients (1 allogeneic and 1 autologous) exhibiting persistent BM disease. Complete clinical remissions were documented at the phenotypic and molecular level for the majority of patients in whom dual fluorescence for CD5 and CD20 (15 of 15; 100%) and Ig gene rearrangements (11 of 14; 79%) were performed. Although long-term follow-up is needed to assess any potential impact on the disease-free and overall survival of these patients, this study shows the feasibility of using high-dose chemoradiotherapy and BMT in patients with poor prognosis B-CLL.