Resuspension of algal cells by benthivorous fish boosts phytoplankton biomass and alters community structure in shallow lakes

1. Positive effects of fish on algal biomass have variously been attributed to cascading top‐down effects and to nutrient enrichment by fish excretion. 2. Here, we used a combination of field and laboratory approaches to test an additional hypothesis, namely that the physical resuspension of settled algal cells by fish enhances algal biomass and alters community composition. 3. A multi‐lake survey showed that phytoplankton biomass and the fraction of motile algae increased with the concentration of inorganic suspended solids. This correlation could not be explained by wind‐induced resuspension because of the small size of the lakes. 4. In an enclosure experiment, chlorophyll‐a concentration, phytoplankton abundance and inorganic suspended solids increased significantly in the presence of Cyprinus carpio (common carp), but only if the fish had access to the sediment. No such effects were seen when a net prevented carp reaching the sediment. 5. The effects of enhanced nutrients and reduced zooplankton grazing as a result of fish feeding could not (fully) explain these observations, suggesting that the resuspension by carp of settled algae from a surface film on the sediment was the major factor in the outcome of the experiment. 6. An increase in diatoms and green algae (organisms with a relatively large sedimentation velocity) only in enclosures where carp could reach the sediment supported this view. 7. Several lines of evidence indicate that fish‐induced resuspension of algal cells from the sediment is an important mechanism that affects phytoplankton biomass and community composition in shallow lakes.     

Characterization of suspended solids in Lake Biwa by measuring their elemental composition of Al,Si, P,S, K,Ca, Ti,Mn, and Fe

We investigated the concentrations of particulate Al, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Fe at various areas of Lake Biwa, such as the limnetic zone in the northern basin, the offshore zone, the dredged area and Akanoi Bay in the southern basin, and reed community areas in the shore. In the wide and deep northern basin, the density of suspended solids was low, and substantial fractions of particulate Si, P, S, and Ca were biogenic matter produced by phytoplankton. In the offshore zone in the narrow and shallow southern basin, the concentration ratios of particulate Si, K, Ca, Ti, and Fe against particulate Al were almost constant throughout the year and were similar to those found in crusts. Therefore, these elements are most likely derived from terrigenous clay matter. In the dredged area where the hypolimnion became anoxic during the stratification period, the concentrations of particulate Fe, Mn, P, S, and Ca increased because of the formation of hydrous Fe and Mn oxides and Fe sulfide. In Akanoi Bay, the ratios of Mn/Al and Fe/Al were high because of the stirring of sediments enriched with Mn and Fe oxides. In the reed community areas, the concentration of suspended solids correlated well with particulate Fe and P, but not with Al or chlorophyll a; therefore these areas seem to be rich in humic organic matter enriched with P and Fe due to microbial activity. Thus, the elemental composition of suspended solids reflects the chemical, biological, and physical processes in the lake and gives us useful indices of the characteristics of the water. Received: February 5, 2001 / Accepted: August 28, 2001     

Effects of resuspension and eutrophication level on summer phytoplankton dynamics in two hypertrophic areas of Lake Taihu,China

The composition of summer phytoplankton communities in two highly eutrophic areas of Lake Taihu, a large, shallow water body in China (area 2,338 km²; mean depth 2.0 m), was studied in relation to selected environmental variables. Both areas have multiple uses, including drinking water supply, fisheries, and recreation. The first area, Meiliang Bay, is much closer to central lake and subjected to wind-driven sediment resuspension, while the second, at Wuli Lake, is less affected by wave action but is considered more nutrient-rich due to its proximity to human inhabitation. By comparing two lake areas, we attempt to advance the understanding and management of different regions of shallow lakes, mainly differing in resuspension levels and eutrophication levels. A comparison of these two lake areas indicated a higher standing crop of phytoplankton in Wuli Lake than in Meiliang Bay. Canonic Correspondence Analysis indicated that nutrient status and sediment resuspension were the principal factors influencing phytoplankton composition in both areas. The dominant algal group in Meiliang Bay comprised immobile R-type strategists (Reynolds in Growth and reproductive strategies of freshwater phytoplankton, 1988), including filamentous diatoms and green algae (Aulacoseira granulate and Planctonema lauterbornii), and recruitment-beneficial RS-type strategists, mainly the colonial cyanobacteria (Microcystis spp.). The community of Wuli Lake was dominated by S-strategists, principally motile flagellates (Cryptomonas spp.) and C-strategists including small nonmotile centric diatoms and chlorococcal green algae.     

Response of bacteria and phytoplankton to contaminated sediments from Trenton Channel,Detroit River

Several types of bioassays were used in 1986 and 1987 to investigate the effect of contaminated sediments on natural populations of bacteria and phytoplankton from the Trenton Channel, Detroit River. The approach included the measurement of uptake of ³H-glucose or ³H-adenine by bacteria and ¹⁴C-bicarbonate by phytoplankton in the presence of different amounts of Trenton Channel and Lake Michigan (control) sediments. Trenton Channel sediments are contaminated by high levels of toxic organic compounds and metals, especially zinc, lead, and copper. Because levels of biomass of bacteria and phytoplankton varied widely among the different bioassays, it was necessary to adjust uptake rates for biomass. Biomass adjustments were made using acridine orange counts for bacteria and chlorophyll measurements for phytoplankton. The results show a statistically significant suppression of uptake of substrates for both bacteria and phytoplankton with increasing amounts of sediment. Uptake was suppressed as much as 90 percent for bacteria and 93 percent for phytoplankton at 1200 mg l^-1 of Trenton Channel sediments compared to bioassays without sediment. Uncontaminated Lake Michigan sediment suppressed uptake much less than Detroit River sediment; the difference in suppression of uptake between the two types of sediment was statistically significant for both bacteria and phytoplankton.Contribution No. 518 of the Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic Sciences of the University of Michigan.     

Effects of sediment resuspension on phytoplankton production: teasing apart the influences of light, nutrients and algal entrainment

1. Wind‐induced sediment resuspension can affect planktonic primary productivity by influencing light penetration and nutrient availability, and by contributing meroplankton (algae resuspended from the lake bed) to the water column. We established relationships between sediment resuspension, light and nutrient availability to phytoplankton in a shallow lake on four occasions. 2. The effects of additions of surficial sediments and nutrients on the productivity of phytoplankton communities were measured in 300 mL gas‐tight bottles attached to rotating plankton wheels and exposed to a light gradient, in 24 h incubations at in situ temperatures. 3. While sediment resuspension always increased primary productivity, resuspension released phytoplankton from nutrient limitation in only two of the four experiments because the amount of available nitrogen and phosphorus entrained from the sediments was small compared with typical baseline levels in the water column. In contrast, chlorophyll a entrainment was substantial compared with baseline water column concentrations and the contribution of meroplankton to primary production was important at times, especially when seasonal irradiance in the lake was high. 4. Comparison of the in situ light climate with the threshold of light‐limitation of the phytoplankton indicated that phytoplankton in the lake were only likely to be light‐limited at times of extreme turbidity (e.g. >200 nephelometric turbidity units), particularly when these occur in winter. Therefore, resuspension influenced phytoplankton production mainly via effects on available nutrients and by entraining algae. The importance of each of these varied in time. 5. The partitioning of primary productivity between the water column and sediments in shallow lakes greatly influences the outcome of resuspension events for water column primary productivity.     

太湖沉积物微生物生物量及其与碳、氮、磷的相关性

对太湖沉积物中微生物生物量碳(MBc)、氮(MBN)、磷(MBp),以及沉积物总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)进行测定并进行相关性分析,揭示太湖沉积物微生物对太湖沉积物营养盐的响应及反馈特征.结果表明:沉积物微生物生物量(MB)在湖体沿岸地区大于湖心区,平均值为184.66 mg·kg-1,MBc在西部沿岸区以及竺山湾和梅梁湾区域较高,平均值为127.57 mg·kg-1;MBN在梅梁湾、贡湖部分区域以及靠近梅梁湾和贡湖的湖心区域和东部沿岸区较高,平均值为19.25 mg·kg-1;MBp在东部沿岸区及其附近的湖心区最高,平均值为19.09 mg·kg-1;沉积物TOC高值区(≥2.30 g· kg-1)主要集中在竺山湾、西部沿岸区、梅梁湾、贡湖地区,平均值为1.59 g·kg-1;沉积物TN高值区(≥0.30g· kg-1)主要集中在贡湖、梅梁湾、竺山湾部分地区以及西部沿岸区,平均值为0.21 g·kg-1;沉积物TP高值区(≥1.20g·kg-1)主要集中在东部沿岸区以及湖心部分区域,平均值为0.55 g·kg-1;太湖沉积物TOC/TN在7～19,平均值为8.97,表明太湖沉积物中的有机质具有明显的双重来源,其中陆源有机质主要集中在西部沿岸区;太湖沉积物MB与沉积物TOC和TN呈显著正相关,与沉积物TP相关性不显著;沉积物MBc/MBN与沉积物TOC/TN显著相关.太湖沉积物微生物主要受沉积物TOC、TN影响,且沉积物TOC/TN的变化显著影响微生物群落结构.     

Muddy odour: a problem associated with extreme eutrophication

The results of a 4-year study in a hypereutrophic bay, Kaupunginselkä Bay at Porvoo on the south coast of Finland, indicated a significant correlation between muddy odour in bream (Abramis brama) and the amount of the blue-green alga Oscillatoria agardhii in the phytoplankton. This algal strain has previously been shown to produce the muddy-smelling compound geosmin. The numbers of muddy-smelling actinomycetes in the water and sediments of the study area were not clearly related to muddy odour in fish, nor to phytoplankton biomass. In the hypereutrophic L. Tuusulanjärvi, muddy odour in bream and pikeperch (Stizostedion lucioperca) was also related to the amounts of blue-green algae in the phytoplankton.     

Development of filamentous green algae in the benthic algal community in a littoral sand-beach zone of Lake Biwa

Temporal changes of biomass and dominant species in benthic algal communities were investigated in a littoral sand-beach zone in the north basin of Lake Biwa from December 1999 to September 2000. Chlorophyll-a amounts of benthic algal communities per unit area of the sandy sediments rapidly increased from late April to June. Increases in biomass of the benthic algal communities are considered to result from the propagation of filamentous green algae Oedogonium sp. and Spirogyra sp. The cell numbers of filamentous green algae and chlorophyll-a amounts of benthic algal communities at depths of 30 and 50cm at a station protected by a breakwater in May were significantly higher than those of a station exposed directly to wave activity. Thus, the biomass accumulation of the benthic algal communities seems to be regulated strongly by wave disturbance. The development of filamentous green algae may contribute to the increase in biomass of the benthic algal community and to the changes in seasonal patterns of biomass in the sand-beach zone of Lake Biwa. We consider that the development of the filamentous green algal community in the littoral zone of Lake Biwa is the result of eutrophication.     

Role of phytoplankton size distribution in lake ecosystems revealed by a comparison of whole plankton community structure between Lake Baikal and Lake Biwa

The influence of the size distribution of phytoplankton on changes in the planktonic food web structures with eutrophication was examined using natural planktonic communities in two world-famous lakes: Lake Baikal and Lake Biwa. The size distribution of phytoplankton and the ratio of heterotrophic to autotrophic biomass (H/A ratio), indicating the balance between primary production and its consumption, were investigated in the lakes of different trophic status. The results revealed that microphytoplankton (>20μm) in mesotrophic Lake Biwa, and picophytoplankton (<2μm) or nanophytoplankton (2–20μm) in oligotrophic Lake Baikal, comprised the highest proportion of the total phytoplankton biomass. The H/A ratio was lower in Lake Biwa (<1) than in Lake Baikal (>1). The low H/A ratio in Lake Biwa appeared to be the consequence of the lack of consumption of the more abundant microphytoplankton, which were inferior competitors in nutrient uptake under oligotrophic conditions but less vulnerable to grazing. As a result, unconsumed microphytoplankton accumulated in the water column, decreasing the H/A ratio in Lake Biwa. Our results showed that food web structure and energy flow in planktonic communities were greatly influenced by the size distribution of phytoplankton, in conjunction with bottom-up (nutrient uptake) and top-down (grazing) effects at the trophic level of primary producers.     

The effect of wave-reduction engineering on sediment resuspension in a large, shallow, eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu)

Frequent resuspension of sediments is recognized as an important process in large shallow lakes, impeding the recovery of eutrophic lakes. A large-scale project, including a wave barrier (3.3 km long) and a soft enclosure, was implemented to reduce wave energy and sediment resuspension in Lake Taihu, eastern China. The effects of the wave-reduction engineering on sediment resuspension and internal nutrient loading were investigated. Results showed that sediment resuspension rates as well as suspended solids (SS) in the areas protected by the wave barrier and the soft enclosure were significantly lower than in the unprotected areas. There was a positive relationship between total phosphorus (TP) and SS; thus internal loading of phosphorus was significantly reduced by the wave-reduction structure. High nutrient levels and phytoplankton biomass persisted during the experiment period, suggesting that additional measures, such as re-establishment of the macrophyte community, must be included to help restore the water quality in such a large, shallow and eutrophic lake.     

围隔中鲢和菹草控藻效果及其生态学意义

在滇池沿岸的池塘中 ,构建了面积为 10 0m2 ,水深为 85cm ,底质均为淤泥的四个围隔 ,其中在三个围隔内分别放养密度为 10 0g/m3 、75g/m3 、5 0g/m3 的鲢。它们均在一定程度上控制浮游植物的生物量并改善水体透明度 ,其中初始放养鲢 75g/m3 的围隔控制效果最明显。放养三种密度的鲢在有效控制微囊藻水华的同时 ,原先水体的优势种类发生质的变化 ,水体中浮游植物的多样性也明显增加。放鱼 2个月后 ,在生物操纵的围隔中同时种入菹草 ,在75g/m3 的鲢控藻的围隔中 ,菹草长势良好 ,浮游动物大量出现 ,透明度进一步增加     

DO PHYSICAL FACTORS REGULATE PHYTOPLANKTON DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS IN LARGE, SHALLOW LAKES?

Factors that regulate phytoplankton dynamics in shallow, productive lakes are poorly understood, due to their predisposition for frequent algal blooms and sediment resuspension events. In Lake Apopka, greatest phytoplankton biomass reflects wind-induced resuspension of algae (meroplankton) that exists on the aphotic lake bottom in a layer approximately 5 cm thick; this assemblage is dominated by diatoms (>60% of total biomass) that can occur in resting stages. Once exposed to moderate light, meroplankton are capable of growth and photosynthetic rates comparable with surface populations. In Lake Okeechobee, remote sensing was used to assess the basin-wide distribution of suspended particles. Satellite reflectance values agreed well with in situ particle densities at 20 in-lake stations (average r²; LANDSAT = 0.81, AVHRR = 0.53), and maps of algal blooms (r² = 0.79, p ≤ 0.01). The greatest chlorophyll concentrations occurred in the vicinity of tributary nutrient inputs at the lake's perimeter, while turbidity increased towards the center of the lake reflecting predominant water circulation patterns. These results underscore the importance of physical-biological interactions in lakes.     

The response of planktonic and microbenthic algal assemblages to nutrient enrichment in shallow coastal waters,southwest Sweden

Field and laboratory nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) enrichment experiments were performed using natural phytoplankton and microphytobenthic assemblages from the brackish water Öresund, S.W. Sweden. The response of algae from a low-nutrient area (Falsterbo Canal) was compared to that of algae from a polluted, nutrient-rich area (Lomma Bay).The biomass (measured as chlorophyll a) of both phytoplankton and microphytobenthos from the Falsterbo Canal increased after the addition of nitrogen. Phytoplankton growth was stimulated by the addition of phosphorus to the nitrogen-rich water of the polluted Lomma Bay. Sediment chlorophyll a showed no significant increase after the addition of nutrients in the Lomma Bay. In containers without sediment, phytoplankton uptake was calculated to account for ≈ 90% of the disappearance of inorganic fixed nitrogen from the water. In the sediment containers the microphytobenthos was estimated to account for ≈20% of the nitrogen uptake. The rest was presumably lost mainly through denitrification.When containers with microphytobenthos from Lomma Bay were kept in the dark, phosphorus was released at a rate of up to ≈ 180 μM · m^?2 · day^?1. We suggest that by producing oxygen microbenthic algae keep the sediment surface oxygenated thereby decreasing phosphorus transport from the sediment to the overlying water.     

Effects of lake mixing with an axial flow pump on water chemistry and phytoplankton

This paper describes the effect of total lake mixing with an axial flow (Garton) pump on the limnology and phytoplankton of two Oklahoma lakes.The Garton pump destratified Ham's Lake (40 ha) in 3 days. Except for one small isolated basin, Ham's Lake remained completely destratified for the rest of the summer. Algal biomass declined, numbers of species of green algae increased, but numbers of species of blue-green algae did not decrease as expected. After destratification, pH remained high (> 8), carbonate alkalinity was observed and reactive phosphate was undetectable.An axial flow pump increased the heat content of Arbuckle Lake (951 ha) and caused the lake to destratify about one month earlier than usual. Increasing the heat content of the lake did not affect the concentration of most water quality parameters or the biomass of algae.     

Effects of concentrating phytoplankton on the acetylene-reduction assay for nitrogenase activity

SUMMARY.

• 1 The consequences of concentrating freshwater phytoplankton communities prior to measurement of nitrogenase activity using the acetylene-reduction assay were investigated.
• 2 Retention of heterocystous blue-green algae by 10 and 45 öm plankton nets was usually much less than 100% and the percent retention differed among blue-green algal species and varied for the same species both on different sampling dates and in different lakes. Retention of heterocyst numbers and helerocyst volume during concentration differed from that of total cell volume of heterocystous blue-green algae.
• 3 Effects of concentration on specific nitrogcnase activity varied among the lakes studied. In Lake Bysjön activity decreased on all sampling occasions, in Lake Trummen there was no apparent effect, and in Lake Vaxjosjon both results were found.
• 4 Effects on nitrogenase activity of mechanical disturbance during concentration and of increased pH. reduced carbon availability. light inhibition and subsaturation. photorespiration and oxygen supersaturation in concentrated samples are discussed. Interactions between these factors are suggested to explain the varying responses in the three lakes.
• 5 It is concluded that phytoplankton should not be concentrated in the acetylene-reduction assay for nitrogenase activity, since both volumetric and cell concentration factors are inadequate and effects of concentration on specific nitrogenase activity are not predictable.

     

太湖梅梁湾湖岸带浮游植物群落演替及其与水华形成的关系

利用2009～2010年周年观测数据,结合江苏太湖湖泊生态系统研究站15年监测数据,分析了太湖梅梁湾湖岸带浮游植物群落演替及其与蓝藻水华形成的关系.50次周监测结果表明:蓝藻门(Cyanophyta)、绿藻门(Chlorophyta)、硅藻门(Bacillariophyta)分别占浮游植物总生物量的60%、16%和22%.冬春季绿藻、硅藻为主要优势种,夏秋季蓝藻门的微囊藻占绝对优势.4月下旬～6月初,平均温度低于20℃,蓝藻没有大规模生长,硅藻门、绿藻门生物量急剧降低,总生物量小于1mg·L^-1;随后温度超过25℃,蓝藻迅速增长并很快成为绝对优势,蓝藻增加滞后于绿藻、硅藻的减少.在营养盐充足、物理因素合适的条件下,浮游植物群落结构自然演替是蓝藻水华形成的主要原因之一.     

The trophic state of Lake Ladoga as indicated by late summer phytoplankton

As a part of the joint Russian-Finnish evaluation of human impact on Lake Ladoga, we studied the phytoplankton of the lake in order to find biological indicators for eutrophication. A second aim of the investigation was intercalibration of sampling and phytoplankton counting techniques between the Russian and Finnish laboratories. Phytoplankton samples were collected from 27 sampling stations in the lake and from the rivers Volkhov and Neva in 9–13 August 1993. In surface water samples the phytoplankton fresh weight biomass varied in the range 218–3575 mg m^–33. Highest biomass values were encountered in Sortavala Bay, and lowest ones in the western central part of the lake. Phytoplankton species composition varied considerably in the lake; blue-green and green algae predominated near-shore areas and Cryptophyceae in the offshore stations. Canonical correspondance analysis revealed close grouping of eutrophy indicating communities, dominated mainly by greens and blue-greens, in the most nutrient-rich parts of Lake Ladoga, the Volkhov and Svir Bays. Samples from the vicinity of the inflows of Vuoksi and Burnaya Rivers and off Pitkaranta formed a separate group, dominated by diatoms, most of which were typical to mesotrophic or eutrophy lakes. As judged by phytoplankton biomass values and chlorophyll a concentrations, Lake Ladoga may generally be classified as mesotrophic. Eutrophicated areas are found in the northern archipelago of the lake and in the areas influenced by large rivers.     

Impact of resuspended sediment on zooplankton feeding in Lake Waihola, New Zealand

1. Wind‐induced sediment resuspension in shallow lakes affects many physical and biological processes, including food gathering by zooplankton. The effects of suspended sediment on clearance rate were determined for a dominant cladoceran, Daphnia carinata, and calanoid copepod, Boeckella hamata, in Lake Waihola, New Zealand. 2. Animals were incubated at multiple densities for 4 days in lake water containing different amounts of suspended lake sediment. Rates of harvest of major food organisms were determined for each sediment level (turbidity) from changes in net growth rate with grazer density. 3. Daphnia cleared all food organisms 7–40 μm in length at similar rates, but was less efficient in its removal of free bacteria, phytoplankton <7 μm, and large cyanobacterial filaments. Elevation of sediment turbidity from 2 to 10 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) (63 mg DW L^?1 added sediment) reduced Daphnia clearance of phytoplankton, heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates by 72–100%, and of amoebae and attached bacteria by 21–44%. Further inhibition occurred at higher turbidity. 4. Boeckella hamata removed microzooplankton primarily, rather than phytoplankton. The rate at which it cleared rotifers was reduced by 56% when turbidity was increased from 2.5 to 100 NTU. 5. In the absence of macrozooplankton, algal growth increased with sediment turbidity, suggesting that sediment also inhibits rotifer grazing. 6. As mid‐day turbidity in Lake Waihola is ≥10 NTU about 40% of the time, sediment resuspension may play a major role in moderating energy flow and structuring pelagic communities in this lake.     

Effect of Temperature on Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) in Lake Mendota

The temperature optimum for photosynthesis of natural populations of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) from Lake Mendota was determined during the period of June to November 1976. In the spring, when temperatures ranged from 0 to 20°C, there were insignificant amounts of blue-green algae in the lake (less than 1% of the biomass). During the summer and fall, when the dominant phytoplankton was blue-green algae, the optimum temperature for photosynthesis was usually between 20 and 30°C, whereas the environmental temperatures during this period ranged from 24°C in August to 12°C in November. In general, the optimum temperature for photosynthesis was higher than the environmental temperature. More importantly, significant photosynthesis also occurred at low temperature in these samples, which suggests that the low temperature alone is not responsible for the absence of blue-green algae in Lake Mendota during the spring. Temperature optima for growth and photosynthesis of laboratory cultures of the three dominant blue-green algae in Lake Mendota were determined. The responses of the two parameters to changes in temperature were similar; thus, photosynthesis appears to be a valid index of growth. However, there was little photosynthesis by laboratory cultures at low temperatures, in contrast to the natural samples. Evidence for an interaction between temperature and low light intensities in their effect on photosynthesis of natural samples is presented.     

以浮游植物评价达赉湖水质污染及营养水平

1987—1988年在30个样点,四季采样,对达赉湖的浮游植物进行了种类组成,生物量、种群数量、优势种、污染指示种、硅藻指数、综合指数等群落生态学的初步研究,应用后五项参数对达赉湖水质污染及营养水平进行了评价。达赉湖浮游植物年均值达54.7×106个/L(细胞数,或个体数为2.3×106个/L),硅藻指数为149.3,综合指数为5.6。群落组成中污染指示种占65%,春季以绿藻的十字藻、卵囊藻为优势种,其它3个季节均以蓝藻中的微囊藻、鱼腥藻、腔球藻占优势,表明达赉湖已受到中等程度污染,属于蓝、绿藻型富营养湖。