Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40548147›Full record

ArticleEcological indicators2025

Ecological condition of mountain lakes in the conterminous United States and vulnerability to human development.

Amalia M Handler, Marc Weber, Michael Dumelle, Lara S Jansen, James N Carleton, Blake A Schaeffer, Steven G Paulsen, Thomas Barnum, Anne W Rea, Anne Neale and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Ecological indicators, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Amalia M HandlerU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97300, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8372-6488
Marc WeberU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97300, USA.
Michael DumelleU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97300, USA.
Lara S JansenOak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellow c/o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Corvallis, OR 97300, USA.
James N CarletonU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Health and Environmental Effects Assessment Division, Washington, DC 20460, USA.
Blake A SchaefferU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, Durham, NC 27711, USA.
Steven G PaulsenRetired, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97300, USA.
Thomas BarnumU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Health and Environmental Effects Assessment Division, Washington, DC 20460, USA.
Anne W ReaU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA.
Anne NealeU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Public Health and Environmental Systems Division, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA.
Jana E ComptonU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97300, USA.

Funding

Intramural EPA EPA999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mountain lakes provide cultural, aesthetic, and recreational services across the globe. Despite their recognized importance, there is no consistent definition of a mountain lake, which hampers describing them individually as well as in aggregate. Additionally, it makes it difficult to study and manage this unique population. We develop a rules-based approach for classifying mountain lakes according to the topography of the area draining directly to the lake. We apply the approach to the data from the United States National Lakes Assessment, for which the population is defined as lakes that are at least 1 ha in surface area and at least 1 m deep in the conterminous US (CONUS). Leveraging this national assessment allows for evaluating the condition of mountain lakes relative to all lakes in the CONUS. There are an estimated 12,353 (95 % C.I. 10,529-14,177) mountain lakes that account for 6.4 % of the lake population in the CONUS. Mountain lakes are in better condition than non-mountain lakes for 11 of 12 physical, chemical, and biological indicators (acid neutralizing capacity was the one exception). Approximately 25 % of mountain lakes are classified as eutrophic or hypereutrophic, and nearly 50 % are in fair or poor condition with respect to riparian vegetation and lakeshore disturbance. Mountain lake watersheds have lower proportions of developed land cover (mean ± 95 % CI: 0.8 ± 0.1 %) compared to non-mountain lakes (6.7 ± 0.3 %); however, developed land cover is more concentrated closer to the lakeshore for mountain lakes compared to non-mountain lakes. Coupled with characteristics such as high runoff, low hydraulic conductivity, and shallow bedrock depths, mountain lakes may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of human development and climate change compared to non-mountain lakes. These findings underscore the need for targeted monitoring, conservation, and management strategies to protect these valuable and sensitive lake environments.

Identifiers

PMID40548147
PMCPMC12180757

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.