Box 11 x 8.5 inches, book 8 x 5.5 inches

Pen drawings in a handmade paper book in a handmade wooden box

In Collaboration with Katie Hein, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

 This book represents the five macrophyte, or aquatic plant, communities present in Wisconsin lakes, as defined in the 2017 National Lakes assessment conducted by the Wisconsin DNR. Rather than a scientific handbook, it is an artistic interpretation meant to highlight the beauty of these plants, many of which are very common and often overlooked. The book is meant to be held, flipped through, and interacted with, so feel free to take it out of the box!

Macrophytes are important components of aquatic ecosystems, stabilizing sediment, providing food and habitat, and influencing nutrient cycling and productivity. They are also highly sensitive to environmental change and thus are useful as ecological indicators of water quality and lake health. In 2017, the Wisconsin DNR surveyed 46 lakes across Wisconsin and estimated the frequencies of macrophyte species. Lakes were clustered based on their species frequency data to identify five macrophyte communities that share compositional characteristics; the Submersed Cosmopolitan, Mixed Characid, Isoetid Meadows, Floating-leaf glades, and Moss-dominated communities. Communities can be identified based on their indicator species, or species that have the highest relative abundance and fidelity to each community cluster.