Comparisons of watershed sulfur budgets in southeast Canada and northeast US: new approaches and implications

Most of eastern North America receives elevated levels of atmospheric deposition of sulfur (S) that result from anthropogenic SO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Atmospheric S deposition has acidified sensitive terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in this region; however, deposition has been declining since the 1970s, resulting in some recovery in previously acidified aquatic ecosystems. Accurate watershed S mass balances help to evaluate the extent to which atmospheric S deposition is retained within ecosystems, and whether internal cycling sources and biogeochemical processes may be affecting the rate of recovery from decreasing S atmospheric loads. This study evaluated S mass balances for 15 sites with watersheds in southeastern Canada and northeastern US for the period 1985 to 2002. These 15 sites included nine in Canada (Turkey Lakes, ON; Harp Lake, ON; Plastic Lake, ON; Hermine, QC; Lake Laflamme, QC; Lake Clair, QC; Lake Tirasse, QC; Mersey, NS; Moosepit, NS) and six in the US (Arbutus Lake, NY; Biscuit Brook, NY; Sleepers River, VT; Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH; Cone Pond, NH; Bear Brook Watershed, ME). Annual S wet deposition inputs were derived from measured bulk or wet-only deposition and stream export was obtained by combining drainage water fluxes with SO₄ ^2? concentrations. Dry deposition has the greatest uncertainty of any of the mass flux calculations necessary to develop accurate watershed balances, and here we developed a new method to calculate this quantity. We utilized historical information from both the US National Emissions Inventory and the US (CASTNET) and the Canadian (CAPMoN) dry deposition networks to develop a formulation that predicted SO₂ concentrations as a function of SO₂ emissions, latitude and longitude. The SO₂ concentrations were used to predict dry deposition using relationships between concentrations and deposition flux derived from the CASTNET or CAPMoN networks. For the year 2002, we compared the SO₂ concentrations and deposition predictions with the predictions of two continental-scale air quality models, the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model and A Unified Regional Air-quality Modeling System (AURAMS) that utilize complete inventories of emissions and chemical budgets. The results of this comparison indicated that the predictive relationship provides an accurate representation of SO₂ concentrations and S deposition for the region that is generally consistent with these models, and thus provides confidence that our approach could be used to develop accurate watershed S budgets for these 15 sites. Most watersheds showed large net losses of SO₄ ^2? on an annual basis, and the watershed mass balances were grouped into five categories based on the relative value of mean annual net losses or net gains. The net annual fluxes of SO₄ ^2? showed a strong relationship with hydrology; the largest net annual negative fluxes were associated with years of greatest precipitation amount and highest discharge. The important role of catchment hydrology on S budgets suggests implications for future predicted climate change as it affects patterns of precipitation and drought. The sensitivity of S budgets is likely to be greatest in watersheds with the greatest wetland area, which are particularly sensitive to drying and wetting cycles. A small number of the watersheds in this analysis were shown to have substantial S sources from mineral weathering, but most showed evidence of an internal source of SO₄ ^2?, which is likely from the mineralization of organic S stored from decades of increased S deposition. Mobilization of this internal S appears to contribute about 1?C6 kg S ha^?1 year^?1 to stream fluxes at these sites and is affecting the rate and extent of recovery from acidification as S deposition rates have declined in recent years. This internal S source should be considered when developing critical deposition loads that will promote ecosystem recovery from acidification and the depletion of nutrient cations in the northeastern US and southeastern Canada.     

Dust mediated transfer of phosphorus to alpine lake ecosystems of the Wind River Range,Wyoming, USA

Alpine lakes receive a large fraction of their nutrients from atmospheric sources and are consequently sensitive to variations in both the amount and chemistry of atmospheric deposition. In this study we explored the spatial changes in lake water chemistry and biology along a gradient of dust deposition in the Wind River Range, Wyoming. Regional differences were explored using the variation in bulk deposition, lake water, sediment, and bedrock geochemistry and catchment characteristics. Dust deposition rates in the Southwestern region averaged 3.34 g m^?2 year^?1, approximately three times higher than deposition rates in the Northwestern region (average 1.06 g m^?2 year^?1). Dust-P deposition rates ranged from 87 µg P m² day^?1 in the Northwestern region to 276 µg P m² day^?1 in the Southwestern region. Subalpine and alpine lakes in the Southwestern region had greater total phosphorus (TP) concentrations (5–13 µg L^?1) and greater sediment phosphorus (SP) concentrations (2–5 mg g^?1) than similar lakes elsewhere in the region (1–8 µg L^?1 TP, 0.5–2 mg g^?1 SP). Lake phosphorus concentrations were related to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) across vegetation gradients, but related to the percent of bare rock, catchment area to lake area, and catchment steepness across dust deposition gradients. Modern phytoplankton and zooplankton biomasses were two orders of magnitude greater in the Southwest than in the Northwest, and alpine lakes in the Southwest had a unique diatom species assemblage with relatively higher concentrations of Asterionella formosa, Pseudostaurosira pseudoconstruens, and Pseudostaurosira brevistriata. These results suggests that catchment controls on P export to lakes (i.e. DOC) are overridden in dominantly bare rock basins where poor soils cannot effectively retain dust deposited P.     

Biogeochemical silica mass balances in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior

Silica budgets for Lake Michigan and Lake Superior differ in several respects. Mass balance calculations for both lakes agree with previous studies in that permanent burial of biogenic silica in sediments may be only about 5% of the biogenic silica produced by diatoms. Because dissolution rates are large, good estimates of permanent burial of diatoms can not be obtained indirectly from the internal cycle of silica (silica uptake by diatoms and subsequent dissolution) but must be obtained from the sediment stratigraphy. The annual net production of biogenic silica in Lake Michigan requires 71% of the winter maximum silica reservoir which must be maintained primarily by internal cycling in this large lake whereas the comparable silica demand in Lake Superior is only 8.3%. The greater silica demand in Lake Michigan is the result of phosphorus enrichment which has increased diatom production. It is hypothesized that steady-state silica dynamics in Lake Michigan were disrupted by increased diatom production between 1955 and 1970 and that a new steady state based on silica-limited diatom production developed after 1970. Mass balance calculations for Lake Michigan show in contrast with previous work that the hypothesized water column silica depletion of 3.0 g · m^–3 could have occurred even though 90% or more of the biogenic silica production is recycled.     

First volumetric airborne pollen sampling in Montevideo City,Uruguay

A volumetric aeropalynological sampling was carried out for the first time in MontevideoUruguay, from October 2000 to September 2001, using a Rotorod sampler Model 40. During the year 76 pollen types were identified. Airborne pollen was recorded over the year but a maximum pollen period was observed from August to April. For the rest of the months, pollen concentration was below 1% of the total annual pollen (TP). The pollen spectrum was characterized by the dominance of herbaceous pollen (NAP), which represented 68% of the TP and dominates the spectrum from November to March. Poaceae was the most frequent and abundant pollen type accounting for 45% of TP. The pollen spectrum reflected the floristic diversity of the city and most of the sources of airborne pollen are present in local and regional flora. Fourteen pollen types reach more than 1% of the TP and most of them are cited as allergenic pollen in other regions. These results may prove important for future medical research.     

Concentration of nutrients in selected lakes in the High Tatra Mountains, Slovakia: effect of season and watershed

Concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), inorganic and organic nitrogen, organic matter, and chlorophyll-a were studied in ten mountain lakes at various stages of acidification, trophy, and type of watershed during each July and October from 1987 to 1990. Concentrations of TP and total organic matter were higher in July than in October. Concentrations of NH4₄ ⁺-N decreased and NO₃ ^–-N increased from July to October. The relative composition of total nitrogen (TN) and its concentration were strongly dependent on the type of watershed: the lowest TN concentrations were observed in lakes with forested watersheds, increasing above the timberline and reaching maximum values in acidified lakes with rocky watersheds. In the pool of TN, nitrate was most important in lakes above the timberline (70–86% of TN), and organic nitrogen in forest lakes (> 90% of TN). Lakes with rocky watersheds were characterized by high ratios of TN:TP (> 250 by mass). The concentration of chlorophyll-a varied widely, from 0.01 to 22.6 µg l^–1, without any consistent change between July and October, and were P limited.     

Pollen in aeolian dust with relation to allergy and asthma in Kuwait

The studying of spatial and temporal distribution of pollen is essential, but rarely tackled in the region including Kuwait. Pollen grains and aeolian dust in the state of Kuwait were seasonally monitored from August 2009 to August 2011 to identify and correlate spatially and temporally pollen data with human health asthma and allergy data. The year 2010–2011 yielded a high in deposited dust and pollen compared to 2009–2010 by 33.2 and 9.9%, respectively. The spring (April–May) and the autumn (October–November) seasons marked the most top pollen distribution for Chenopodiaceae, Gramineae (Poaceae), Cyperaceae, Fabaceae, and Plantaginaceae. The pollen graphs for summer (July–August) and winter (January–February) seasons showed low pollen distribution due to the severe drought, dust storms, winter wind and rainfall. There are no correlations found between pollen deposition and the number of asthma patients. The annual dust deposited rate in Kuwait during 2010/2011 was 373 t km^?2 which represented a 33.2% increase compared with 2009/2010. The study has concluded that pollen of Malvaceae, Compositae and Chenopodiaceae is the most common triggers of allergy in Kuwait. Additionally, a positive correlation between the number of allergy patients and deposited dust was observed during March 2010 and 2011.     

The effect of a shift from macrophyte to phytoplankton dominance on phosphorus forms and burial in the sediments of a shallow hard-water lake

In shallow lakes, increasing phosphorus (P) loading has often been accompanied by a shift from a clear-water, macrophyte-dominated state to a turbid state featuring phytoplankton dominance. The effect of a regime shift on P burial and P fractions in lake sediments, however, is poorly understood. We used sediment cores from a eutrophic hard-water lake (Lake Gollinsee, Germany) that had undergone a regime shift (in approximately 1917) to investigate the effect on the accumulation rate of P and on changes in P forms. The cores were dated using Hg contents and radioisotopes (²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs, and ²⁴¹Am). A combination of total organic carbon to total nitrogen ratios (TOC:TN), δ¹³TOC values, X-ray fluorescence calcium (Ca) counts, and sediment colour clearly distinguished sediment layers that were deposited during periods of macrophyte or phytoplankton dominance. The accumulation rate of total P (TP) in the sediments was 1.8 times higher after the regime shift and was associated with changes in the distribution of P fractions. The proportions of loosely-(NH₄Cl-extracted TP) and Ca-(HCl-extracted TP) bound P decreased significantly, whilst the proportions of biogenic P (NaOH-extracted NRP) and aluminium-bound P (NaOH-extracted SRP) increased significantly. A higher dry mass deposition rate, reduced burial of stable Ca-P complexes, and increased contents and proportions of the mobile iron-bound (BD-extracted TP) and biogenic P fractions in the near-surface sediment layers are assumed to have enhanced the internal cycling of P and hence to have helped to maintain a state of phytoplankton dominance.

     

Phosphorus limitation in some tropical African lakes

Two of three Kenyan lakes studied between November 1979 and October 1980 have very short ³³PO₄ turnover times, indicating a high phosphorus (P) demand throughout the year. The P turnover time in Lakes Oloidien and Sonachi is as rapid as in the most P deficient temperate zone lakes. The third lake, Lake Naivasha, has a lower overall P demand and a wide seasonal range, with lowest demand between November 1979 and February 1980 when a P deficiency was unlikely. On an annual basis the Lake Naivasha status is, however, not statistically different from that recorded during the summer in Lake Memphremagog, a generally P-limited temperate zone lake. Lake Naivasha and Lake Oloidien fit well to the line of best fit for the Dillon-Rigler relationship relating total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll a derived in temperate zone lakes. Thus, temperate zone models predicting aspects of lake behaviour on the basis of TP may also be applicable to these two tropical lakes. Saline lake Sonachi had not only a short P turnover time but also responded dramatically to the fertilization of enclosures with P. However, it does not fit the TP-chla or the total nitrogen-chla plots from the temperate zone. This suggests that, in this saline lake at least, much of the TP is unavailable to the algae, with some of it in a particulate form that is readily extracted with boiling water. The epilimnetic N:P ratios also characterize lakes Oloidien and Sonachi lakes as highly P deficient and lake Naivasha as more moderately P limited. A single set of measurements in Winam Gulf (Lake Victoria) also showed a rapid P turnover time and thus P limitation, but as in lake Sonachi much of the TP was in a non-algal particulate form. Occasional measurements in three other hypertrophic and saline lakes suggest them to be primarily light limited on the basis of their very high photosynthetic cover. These findings support the hypothesis of a primary P limitation for those lakes not light limited, and contradicts literature suggestions that nitrogen is the primary limiting element in tropical lakes.     

沉积物生源要素对水体生态环境变化的指示意义

受人类活动影响,输入到湖泊、河口中的营养盐剧增,导致水体富营养化、食物链结构改变、底质季节性缺氧等生态环境变化。这些环境变化会在沉积物中留下记录,沉积物中生源要素及其稳定同位素的变化是指示水域古生产力、营养盐水平的有效指标。总结归纳了沉积物中生源要素(碳、氮、磷、硅)指标对水体环境中初级生产力、物质来源、营养盐水平3方面变化的指示作用。沉积物中TOC、TN、δ13C、CaCO3和BSi可以反映水体沉降有机质含量和浮游植物的生长状况,是指示水域初级生产力水平的有效指标。根据不同类型植物来源的有机质中δ13C、δ15N和C/N的差异,可以追踪沉积物中有机质的来源。有效地区分有机质来源对于研究人类活动对水体环境的影响及水体富营养化具有重要的价值。沉积物中TN、δ15 N、TP和非磷灰石磷(NAIP)含量的升高直接反映了陆源输入氮、磷的增加。BSi在指示浮游植物生长状况的同时,还反映了水体溶解硅浓度水平和富营养化状况。水体中的生源物质在沉降和埋藏的过程中,会受到早期成岩作用、水动力搬运等众多因素的作用,使沉积物记录的环境变化信息发生改变,从而干扰其对水体环境演变的重建作用。因此综合分析各生源要素指标反映的环境变化信息及其可能的干扰因素,方能正确地反映水域的环境变化过程。     

Macrophyte effects on algal turbidity in subtropical versus temperate lakes: a reply to Dolman (2014)

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Different Pollen Deposition Mechanism in Forest: a Simple Model

Pollen deposition is dependent on the pollen production of the nearest trees and on the structure of the canopy. It continues after flowering, and great quantities of pollen are deposited also during winter time and early spring. Therefore a "deposition year" is proposed as a basis for calculation of annual deposition. The deposition year in the forest can be divided in one floral and two post-floral deposition periods, each deposition having a characteristic trend. The flowering period is characterized by a sharp peak, the canopy cleaning deposition by a decreasing curve immediately after the flowering; the litter deposition peaks are more or less randomly distributed through the rest of the year. Part of the litter deposition is the pollen on leaves which are shed in the autum, another part is the pollen on seeds, twigs, etc. Large amounts of such pollen are deposited even in wintertime.     

Modelling pollen sedimentation in Danish lakes at c.ad 1800: an attempt to validate the POLLSCAPE model

Aims To validate the POLLSCAPE simulation model of pollen dispersal and deposition, and evaluate the effect of factors such as pollen productivity, wind speed and regional plant abundance, using a data set of ad 1800 pollen assemblages and historical land cover data. Location Denmark. Methods ad 1800 land cover from historical maps is digitized for 2000 m radii around 30 Danish lakes (3.5–33 ha). The simulation model POLLSCAPE is used to predict sedimentary pollen assemblages in the lakes from the plant abundance data inferred from these maps, with different model parameter settings for wind speed, pollen productivity, regional pollen loading, etc. The model predictions are compared with observed ad 1800 pollen assemblages from the lake sediment records. Furthermore, pollen productivity is estimated from the ad 1800 pollen and vegetation data using the Extended R‐value model. Results Generally the model reproduces the patterns in the observed pollen assemblages, and for most pollen types there are significant correlations between observed and predicted pollen proportions. The pollen proportions predicted by the POLLSCAPE model are sensitive to the pollen productivity estimates used, the regional background pollen loading and average wind speed. There is a difference in background pollen loading between eastern and western Denmark, especially of Calluna pollen. The fit between predicted and observed pollen assemblages is best at wind speeds around 2.5 m s^?1, and decreases rapidly at lower wind speeds. The pollen productivity estimates from the ad 1800 data set are comparable with estimates from moss polsters in modern analogues of traditional cultural landscapes in Sweden and Norway. Main conclusions The POLLSCAPE model reproduces the patterns in the observed pollen assemblages from the lakes well, considering the uncertainty in the historical plant abundance data. This study indicates that the simulation model can be a useful tool for investigating relationships between vegetation and pollen composition, but also that the simulated pollen proportions are sensitive to the pollen productivity estimates, the regional background and to wind speed.     

Nitrogen input–output budgets for lake-containing watersheds in the Adirondack region of New York

The Adirondack region of New York is characterized by soils and surface waters that are sensitive to inputs of strong acids, receiving among the highest rates of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition in the United States. Atmospheric N deposition to Adirondack ecosystems may contribute to the acidification of soils through losses of exchangeable basic cations and the acidification of surface waters in part due to increased mobility of nitrate (NO₃^–). This response is particularly evident in watersheds that exhibit nitrogen saturation. To evaluate the contribution of atmospheric N deposition to the N export and the capacity of lake-containing watersheds to remove, store, or release N, annual N input–output budgets were estimated for 52 lake-containing watersheds in the Adirondack region from 1998 to 2000. Wet N deposition was used as the N input and the lake N discharge loss was used as the N output based on modeled hydrology and measured monthly solute concentrations. Annual outputs were also estimated for dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Wet N deposition increased from the northeast to the southwest across the region. Lake N drainage losses, which exhibited a wider range of values than wet N deposition, did not show any distinctive spatial pattern, although there was some evidence of a relationship between wet N deposition and the lake N drainage loss. Wet N deposition was also related to the fraction of N removed or retained within the watersheds (i.e., the fraction of net N hydrologic flux relative to wet N deposition, calculated as [(wet N deposition minus lake N drainage loss)/wet N deposition]). In addition to wet N deposition, watershed attributes also had effects on the exports of NO₃^–, ammonium (NH₄⁺), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and DOC, the DOC/DON export ratio, and the N flux removed or retained within the watersheds (i.e., net N hydrologic flux, calculated as [wet N deposition less lake N drainage loss]). Elevation was strongly related with the lake drainage losses of NO₃^–, NH₄⁺, and DON, net NO₃^– hydrologic flux (i.e., NO₃^– deposition less NO₃^– drainage loss), and the fraction of net NO₃^– hydrologic flux, but not with the DOC drainage loss. Both DON and DOC drainage losses from the lakes increased with the proportion of watershed area occupied by wetlands, with a stronger relationship for DOC. The effects of wetlands and forest type on NO₃^– flux were evident for the estimated NO₃^– fluxes flowing from the watershed drainage area into the lakes, but were masked in the drainage losses flowing out of the lakes. The DOC/DON export ratios from the lake-containing watersheds were in general lower than those from forest floor leachates or streams in New England and were intermediate between the values of autochthonous and allochthonous dissolved organic matter (DOM) reported for various lakes. The DOC/DON ratios for seepage lakes were lower than those for drainage lakes. In-lake processes regulating N exports may include denitrification, planktonic depletion, degradation of DOM, and the contribution of autochthonous DOM and the influences of in-lake processes were also reflected in the relationships with hydraulic retention time. The N fluxes removed or stored within the lakes substantially varied among the lakes. Our analysis demonstrates that for these northern temperate lake-containing watershed ecosystems, many factors, including atmospheric N deposition, landscape features, hydrologic flowpaths, and retention in ponded waters, regulated the spatial patterns of net N hydrologic flux within the lake-containing watersheds and the loss of N solutes through drainage waters.     

Lake‐type‐specific seasonal patterns of nutrient limitation in German lakes,with target nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations for good ecological status

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Birgean heat budgets and rates of heat uptake in two monomictic lakes

Thermal profile development, rates of heat uptake and annual heat budgets are presented for two monomictic lakes, Whatcom and Washington, in the Puget Sound lowlands of Washington State. The rates of heat gain in the lakes were found to be significantly affected by lake morphometry. In turn, the differing rates of heat gain affected the annual heat budgets.     

A comparison of diatom phosphorus transfer functions and export coefficient models as tools for reconstructing lake nutrient histories

1. We compared the baseline phosphorus (P) concentrations inferred by diatom‐P transfer functions and export coefficient models at 62 lakes in Great Britain to assess whether the techniques produce similar estimates of historical nutrient status. 2. There was a strong linear relationship between the two sets of values over the whole total P (TP) gradient (2–200 μg TP L^?1). However, a systematic bias was observed with the diatom model producing the higher values in 46 lakes (of which values differed by more than 10 μg TP L^?1 in 21). The export coefficient model gave the higher values in 10 lakes (of which the values differed by more than 10 μg TP L^?1 in only 4). 3. The difference between baseline and present‐day TP concentrations was calculated to compare the extent of eutrophication inferred by the two sets of model output. There was generally poor agreement between the amounts of change estimated by the two approaches. The discrepancy in both the baseline values and the degree of change inferred by the models was greatest in the shallow and more productive sites. 4. Both approaches were applied to two lakes in the English Lake District where long‐term P data exist, to assess how well the models track measured P concentrations since approximately 1850. There was good agreement between the pre‐enrichment TP concentrations generated by the models. The diatom model paralleled the steeper rise in maximum soluble reactive P (SRP) more closely than the gradual increase in annual mean TP in both lakes. The export coefficient model produced a closer fit to observed annual mean TP concentrations for both sites, tracking the changes in total external nutrient loading. 5. A combined approach is recommended, with the diatom model employed to reflect the nature and timing of the in‐lake response to changes in nutrient loading, and the export coefficient model used to establish the origins and extent of changes in the external load and to assess potential reduction in loading under different management scenarios. 6. However, caution must be exercised when applying these models to shallow lakes where the export coefficient model TP estimate will not include internal P loading from lake sediments and where the diatom TP inferences may over‐estimate TP concentrations because of the high abundance of benthic taxa, many of which are poor indicators of trophic state.     

Hydrological and nutrient budgets of freshwater and estuarine wetlands of Taylor Slough in Southern Everglades, Florida (U.S.A.)

Hydrological restoration of the Southern Everglades will result in increased freshwater flow to the freshwater and estuarine wetlands bordering Florida Bay. We evaluated the contribution of surface freshwater runoff versus atmospheric deposition and ground water on the water and nutrient budgets of these wetlands. These estimates were used to assess the importance of hydrologic inputs and losses relative to sediment burial, denitrification, and nitrogen fixation. We calculated seasonal inputs and outputs of water, total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) from surface water, precipitation, and evapotranspiration in the Taylor Slough/C-111 basin wetlands for 1.5 years. Atmospheric deposition was the dominant source of water and TP for these oligotrophic, phosphorus-limited wetlands. Surface water was the major TN source of during the wet season, but on an annual basis was equal to the atmospheric TN deposition. We calculated a net annual import of 31.4 mg m^–2 yr^–1 P and 694 mg m^–2 yr^–1N into the wetland from hydrologic sources. Hydrologic import of P was within range of estimates of sediment P burial (33–70 mg m^–2 yr^–1 P), while sediment burial of N (1890–4027 mg m^–2 yr^–1 N) greatly exceeded estimated hydrologic N import. High nitrogen fixation rates or an underestimation of groundwater N flux may explain the discrepancy between estimates of hydrologic N import and sediment N burial rates.     

Annual winter water level drawdowns limit shallow‐water mussel densities in small lakes

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Phosphorus recycling in lakes: evidence from large limnetic enclosures for the importance of shallow sediments

• 1 The dynamics of phosphorus in large field enclosures are described from a series of experimental manipulations directed primarily to the study of phytoplankton populations. The enclosures were similar in size but differed in their depth contours. The aim of the present analysis was to detect systematic differences in the phosphorus budgets of deep and shallow systems.
• 2 The sequence of events in each of six year-long experiments is described in terms of algal production. The values are compared with water-column measurements of total phosphorus (TP), the reactive fraction (SRP) and changes in the particulate fraction (PP, assumed to be TP minus SRP). Stoichiometric ratios for larger phytoplankton crops were in the range 85–110 C/P (molar).
• 3 The annual aggregate of new carbon produced in the two uniformly deep enclosures (11.5 m) in relation to the phosphorus supplied was also remarkably close to Redfield stoichiometry, with between 87 and 97mol C yielded per mol P added. However, in the graded enclosure (< 4–13.5 m), the yield was up to twice as great (maximum: 197 mol C mol^-1 P available).
• 4 There are two possible mechanisms. A graded surface permits a greater area of sediment to be in contact with the hypolimnion and for the sediment oxygen demand to deplete a greater hypolimnetic volume; the associated fall in redox would have been adequate to explain the observed increment of dissolved phosphorus to the hypolimnion, associated with the Einsele–Mortimer model (ferric → ferrous iron reduction). There was no clear evidence that this phosphorus supported autotrophic production until late in the year.
• 5 The alternative mechanism is based on the association of phosphorus ‘injection’ to the epilimnion during wind-mixed episodes, when the enhanced shear stress on shallow sediments resuspends fine, superficial deposits and their interstitial waters into the full circulation. Circumstantial evidence suggests this second pathway predominated in the graded enclosure but was ineffective in the uniformly deep enclosures.
• 6 The role of mechanical, aerobic phosphorus cycling in the nutrient economy of lakes, especially small or shallow ones, may have been underestimated in the past but it must be considered when evaluating any proposal to reduce the external nutrient loads to lakes.

     

An analysis of the total phosphorus cycle in some temperate lakes: the response to enrichment

• 1 Total phosphorus (TP) cycles were examined in seventeen lakes from the Scottish lowlands and Northern Ireland, which varied in annual mean TP from 17 to 192 μg Pl^-1.
• 2 It is clear from the data that the annual range of TP concentrations increases as the annual maximum TP increases. Although the annual minimum TP increases somewhat with increasing annual maxima, even enriched lakes show a pronounced TP minimum. As a result, the annual maximum values are highly correlated with the ranges and means, but less so with the annual minima.
• 3 The data are discussed in relation to a conceptual sine wave model and it is suggested that enrichment modulates the amplitude of the sine wave.
• 4 Mechanisms conditioning the maximum and minimum values are reviewed.