Core Datasets

Core datasets collected by NTL represent a suit of long-term data sets across the 5 core LTER areas of primary production, population dynamics and trophic structure, organic matter accumulation and use, inputs and movements of nutrients through the ecosystem, and patterns and frequency of disturbances.

These datasets are continually updated. The EDI links below may alert you that a new update is available.

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HOW TO CITE DATA IN PUBLICATIONS

Our data is licensed as CC-BY, which allows use (i.e., scientific and commercial) of the data but with proper attribution (citation). All EDI datasets provide formal data citations on the package summary page. E.g.

Magnuson, J.J., S.R. Carpenter, and E.H. Stanley. 2023. North Temperate Lakes LTER: Chemical Limnology of Primary Study Lakes: Nutrients, pH and Carbon 1981 – current ver 59. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/c923b8e044310f3f5612dab09c2cc6c2 (Accessed 2023-05-26).

*If you are in a situation where you have more datasets than can reasonably be cited, please talk to the folks at EDI, they can help alleviate this situation while still providing appropriate credit.

Below is a simplified list of core datasets organized thematically, linked to EDI.

For those familiar with the datasets, a more detailed description of the same datasets is provided: https://hdugan.github.io/NTLcoredatasets/

Lakes Information

North Temperate Lakes-LTER Core Research Lakes Information

 

Meteorology

Madison Wisconsin Daily Meteorological Data 1869 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Meteorological Data – Woodruff Airport 1989 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER Soil Temperature – Woodruff Airport 2006 – current

Minocqua Dam Daily Meteorological Data at North Temperate Lakes LTER 1978 – current

Minocqua Dam Monthly Meteorological Data at North Temperate Lakes LTER 1905 – current

 

Physical

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Physical Limnology of Primary Study Lakes 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Physical Limnology of Lake Kegonsa and Lake Waubesa 1995 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Snow and Ice Depth 1982 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Ice Duration – Trout Lake Area 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Ice Duration – Madison Lakes Area 1853 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Lake Levels 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Light Extinction 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Secchi Disk Depth; Other Auxiliary Base Crew Sample Data 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Color – Trout Lake Area 1989 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Sediment Deposition – Trout Lake Area 1986 – current

Lake Mendota Multiparameter Sonde Profiles: 2017 – current

 

Groundwater

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Groundwater Chemistry 1984 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Groundwater Levels 1984 – current

 

Chemical

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Chemical Limnology of Primary Study Lakes: Major Ions 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Chemical Limnology of Primary Study Lakes: Nutrients, pH and Carbon 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Physical and Chemical Limnology of Lake Kegonsa and Lake Waubesa 1994 – current

 

Biological

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Chlorophyll – Madison Lakes Area 1995 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Chlorophyll – Trout Lake Area 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Phytoplankton – Madison Lakes Area 1995 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Phytoplankton – Trout Lake Area 1984 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Zooplankton – Trout Lake Area 1982 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Zooplankton – Madison Lakes Area 1997 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER Zooplankton conversion formulas length to biomass

 

Macroinvertebrates

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Benthic Macroinvertebrates 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Crayfish Abundance 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER Pelagic Macroinvertebrate Abundance 1983 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Pelagic Macroinvertebrate Summary 1983 – current

 

Macrophytes

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Macrophyte Transects – Trout Lake 1982 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Macrophyte Biomass – Trout Lake 1983 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Macrophyte Richness – Trout Lake 1993 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Macrophyte Biomass in Trout Lake Summary 1983 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Macrophyte Species at Quadrat Level – Trout Lake 1993 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Macrophyte Rating – Madison Lakes Area 1995 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Macrophyte Biomass – Madison Lakes Area 1995 – current

 

Fish

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Fish Abundance 1981 – current

Lake Wingra: Fish Abundance 1995 – current

Lake Wingra: Fish Lengths and Weights 1995 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Fish Species Richness 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Fish Length Frequency 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Fish Lengths and Weights 1981 – current

North Temperate Lakes LTER: Pelagic Prey – Sonar Data 2001 – current