Guerin AJ, Weise AM, Chu JWF, Wilcox MA, Greene ES, Therriault TW. High-resolution freshwater dissolved calcium and pH data layers for Canada and the United States.
Sci Data 2024;
11:370. [PMID:
38605078 PMCID:
PMC11009242 DOI:
10.1038/s41597-024-03165-8]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are biologically important habitats that provide many ecosystem services. Calcium concentration and pH are two key variables that are linked to multiple chemical processes in these environments, influence the biology of organisms from diverse taxa, and can be important factors affecting the distribution of native and non-native species. However, it can be challenging to obtain high-resolution data for these variables at regional and national scales. To address this data gap, water quality data for lakes and rivers in Canada and the continental USA were compiled and used to generate high-resolution (10 × 10 km) interpolated raster layers, after comparing multiple spatial interpolation approaches. This is the first time that such data have been made available at this scale and resolution, providing a valuable resource for research, including projects evaluating risks from environmental change, pollution, and invasive species. This will aid the development of conservation and management strategies for these vital habitats.
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