低盐潟湖秋冬交替期浮游植物群落变化与环境因子的关系

潟湖生态系统在水产养殖、旅游休闲等生态服务功能中发挥着重要作用。于2016—2018年10—12月对杭州湾北部人工潟湖的浮游植物群落以及营养盐水平进行监测,探究人工潟湖内浮游植物群落结构的变化趋势和主导这些变化的主要营养盐种类。结果表明:潟湖内浮游植物组成主要为硅藻、绿藻和蓝藻门,优势属众多,其中硅藻门的梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)和变异直链藻(Melosira varians)是最常见的优势种;在调查期间Shannon指数、Margalef指数和多样性阈值等多样性指数逐年递增,水体为中度富营养化状态,水域生物多样性增加,水质维持在一二类水,水环境改善且生态风险较低;冗余分析表明,该水域秋冬交替期对浮游植物群落结构造成影响的主要环境因子为硅酸盐、水温、无机磷、氮磷比和盐度,控制该水域中无机磷的输入是防范有害藻华暴发的重要策略。     

苏州河浮游植物群落恢复的生境条件研究

于2005年4月至2006年5月期间对苏州河浮游植物群落及理化因子进行研究,分析了苏州河浮游植物现状及水质现状,并分析两者之间的关系,得出水温、总磷、总氮、COD_cr等理化因子对浮游植物群落有显著影响,且其影响均存在临界值,分别为水温15℃、总磷0.6mg·L^-1、总氮10mg·L^-1、COD_cr20mg·L^-1.即在苏州河的浮游植物群落恢复中,当理化因子小于其相对浮游植物群落的临界值时,小球藻的出现频率低、密度百分比低,梅尼小环藻出现频率高、密度百分比高;而当理化因子大于其相对浮游植物群落的临界值时,小球藻的出现频率高,密度百分比高,梅尼小环藻出现频率低,密度百分比低.因此在对苏州河进行生态恢复时,应考虑到各理化因子对浮游植物影响的临界值,综合权衡各方面因素,确定水质恢复应达到的目标.     

新开挖景观河道浮游植物群落结构特征及与环境因子的关系

于2011年12月—2012年11月,每月一次测定新开挖景观河道——上海临港B港河道的浮游植物和水质指标,对该河道浮游植物群落结构及其与环境因子之间的关系进行了研究。结果表明:鉴定出浮游植物7门223种,绿藻门种类最多,其次为蓝藻门和硅藻门,浮游植物群落数量变幅为7.52×106~212×106cells·L-1,平均数量为66.27×106cells·L-1,丰水期的种类数高于枯水期,浮游植物数量则相反,各季度优势种变化不大,主要以蓝藻门的平裂藻属(Merismopedia spp.)为主;典范对应分析排序表明,浮游植物在4个象限中分布均匀,反映河道水系处于四季分明的亚热带气候特点;主成分分析和典范对应分析排序表明,对河道浮游植物群落动态变化影响较大的环境因子是盐度、营养盐(TN和TP);小形色球藻(Chroococcus minor)、银灰平裂藻(Merismopedia glauca)、膨胀四角藻(Tetraedron tumidulum)和针杆藻(Synedra sp.)可作为盐度的指示种;短线脆杆藻(Fragilaria brevistriata)、尖针杆藻(Synedra acus)、新月菱形藻(Ntizschia closterium)和束缚色球藻(Chroococcus tenax)对指示有机污染有潜在价值。     

长期砷胁迫下大屯海浮游植物群落的季节性特征及其驱动因子

重金属是影响湖泊水质和生态健康的重要胁迫因子,系统识别生物对长期污染胁迫的响应模式是开展污染湖泊生态修复的重要基础.本研究以经历持续砷污染的大屯海为研究对象,于2017年6月—2018年3月对水体浮游植物和环境因子开展季节性调查.结果显示:大屯海的浮游植物群落主要由蓝藻门组成,与已有研究反映的长期砷胁迫下浮游植物组成以...     

中国大型人口密集型流域(淮河流域)浮游植物群落的分布格局

近年来, 淮河流域(流域面积为 2.7×105km2)水体污染严重并导致水质的恶化。为了分析淮河流域浮游植物群落的分布格局及其与环境因子之间的关系, 于2013 年5 月对淮河流域217 个样点进行浮游植物样品的采集, 并测定水体的环境指标。结果显示, 淮河流域浮游植物群落主要由甲藻(占总生物量的26.1%)、硅藻(23.4%)和隐藻(19.5%)组成。聚类分析显示, 浮游植物群落可以分为四组: 组1 主要以腰鞭毛飞燕角甲藻(Ceratium hirundinella)为优势种, 组2 主要以硅藻门的梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)为主。组1 和组2 的采样点大多位于林地区域。组3 主要以隐藻类(Cryptomonas erosa)为主, 采样点位于人为干扰较大的区域, 如农业污染、采砂和农业养殖区。组4 主要以金藻门的色金藻(Chromulina sp.)为主。浮游植物的群落结构主要受自然条件(如海拔和河流的级别)和人类活动(如总悬浮固体物和总氮)的影响。我们的结果显示, 浮游植物可以作为大型流域生物评价中的指示类群, 同时在水质监测中也应该考虑自然条件的变化。     

安徽沱湖夏季浮游植物群落结构特征与环境因子关系

为了揭示沱湖浮游植物群落结构特征及其与水环境因子的关系,于2016年7月(夏季),对沱湖流域上游至下游11个采样点浮游植物种类组成、细胞丰度、生物量等进行调查研究。结果显示,沱湖共有浮游植物96种(含变种),隶属8门48属,其中绿藻门(Chlorophyta)和硅藻门(Bacillariophyta)种类最多,绿藻门有23属39种,占总种数的40.63%,硅藻门有7属20种,占总种数的20.83%;其次为裸藻门(Euglenophyta),有5属17种,占总种数的17.71%,蓝藻门(Cyanophyta) 8属14种,占14.58%;甲藻门(Pyrrophyta) 2属2种,隐藻门(Cryptophyta) 1属2种,各占总种数的2.08%,黄藻门(Xanthophyta)与金藻门(Chrysophyta)均有1属1种,均占总种数的1.04%。绿藻和硅藻类物种在沱湖浮游植物群落结构中处于优势地位,沱湖夏季浮游植物种类组成表现为绿藻-硅藻型。沱湖夏季浮游植物细胞丰度与生物量从上游到下游呈逐渐增加趋势,细胞丰度与生物量平均值分别为4.022×106cells/L与3.046 mg/L,蓝藻门和绿藻门类群为沱湖浮游植物细胞丰度主体,硅藻门和裸藻门类群为沱湖浮游植物生物量的主体;上游浮游植物多样性指数与均匀度指数均略高于下游采样点,沱湖水质呈β中污型-无污染型,上游水质优于下游水质。浮游植物群落结构与水环境因子的典型对应分析(CCA)结果表明,电导率、透明度、水深及pH值等环境因子与沱湖夏季浮游植物群落结构有较强的相关性。     

安徽城东湖浮游植物群落结构与水质评价

为了解城东湖浮游植物群落结构特征及水质健康状况, 于2016年7、8、9、10、11、12月及2017年10、11、12月对城东湖浮游植物及水质理化指标进行调查分析。鉴定浮游植物8门, 56属, 106种(含变种)。其中以绿藻门种类最多, 为25属50种, 占总种类数的47.17%; 硅藻门次之, 13属23种, 占21.70%, 绿藻和硅藻类物种在城东湖浮游植物群落结构中处于优势地位; 浮游植物主要优势种为颗粒直链藻极狭变种Melosira granulate var. angustissima, 卵形隐藻Cryptomonas ovata, 啮蚀隐藻Cryptomonas erosa, 分歧锥囊藻Dinobryon divergens。2016年及2017年浮游植物细胞丰度月平均值为6.743、5.840×104 cells·L-1, 相对应的生物量为0.884与0.526 mg·L-1; Margalef指数、Shannon-Wiener指数及Pielou指数分别为0.627-3.830, 0.741-4.118, 0.247-0.975, 平均值分别是2.029, 2.193, 0.714。RDA分析显示, 影响城东湖浮游植物群落结构的主要环境因子为透明度、总碱度、溶氧等。水质评价显示, 城东湖水质处于α中污染, 营养水平为中营养状态。     

中国大型人口密集型流域(淮河流域)浮游植物群落的分布格局（英文）

近年来,淮河流域(流域面积为2.7×105km2)水体污染严重并导致水质的恶化。为了分析淮河流域浮游植物群落的分布格局及其与环境因子之间的关系,于2013年5月对淮河流域217个样点进行浮游植物样品的采集,并测定水体的环境指标。结果显示,淮河流域浮游植物群落主要由甲藻(占总生物量的26.1%)、硅藻(23.4%)和隐藻(19.5%)组成。聚类分析显示,浮游植物群落可以分为四组:组1主要以腰鞭毛飞燕角甲藻(Ceratium hirundinella)为优势种,组2主要以硅藻门的梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)为主。组1和组2的采样点大多位于林地区域。组3主要以隐藻类(Cryptomonas erosa)为主,采样点位于人为干扰较大的区域,如农业污染、采砂和农业养殖区。组4主要以金藻门的色金藻(Chromulina sp.)为主。浮游植物的群落结构主要受自然条件(如海拔和河流的级别)和人类活动(如总悬浮固体物和总氮)的影响。我们的结果显示,浮游植物可以作为大型流域生物评价中的指示类群,同时在水质监测中也应该考虑自然条件的变化。     

石油烃污染对海洋浮游植物群落的短期毒性效应

海上溢油和船舶含油废水排放等石油污染给海洋生态环境带来严峻考验。为了解石油污染对海洋浮游植物的短期群落效应, 于实验室对采自浙江省乐清湾海域的四季浮游植物进行了14天的微宇宙实验研究。通过测定不同浓度原油水溶性成分(water accommodated fraction, WAF)胁迫下浮游植物群落各种类的细胞密度, 发现原油WAF对浮游植物群落的种类数、多样性、均匀度和优势种组成及优势度均有极显著影响。原油污染组的种类数均低于对照组, 多样性指数也总体上低于对照组, 但均匀度指数无明显规律。WAF对各季节浮游植物群落优势种的影响存在季节、浓度梯度和种类差异: 1)在高浓度WAF (≥2.28 mg·L^-1)胁迫下, 各季节浮游植物群落中中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)的优势度均呈升高趋势, 除秋季外, 长菱形藻(Nitzschia longissima)在其余季节的优势度均显著下降, 另外秋季实验中微小原甲藻(Prorocentrum minimum)的优势度呈先升高后下降的趋势, 秋冬季斜纹藻(Pleurosigma sp.)和念珠直链藻(Melosira moniliformis)的优势度呈下降趋势; 2)在低浓度WAF (≤1.16 mg·L^-1)胁迫下, 除秋季中肋骨条藻仍为绝对优势种外, 其余季节该种微藻的优势度均呈下降趋势, 春、夏季长菱形藻的优势度逐渐升高, 而冬季则是念珠直链藻的优势度不断增加。原油WAF影响下, 可能r策略种将逐渐取代k策略种, 导致浮游植物群落趋于小型化。     

确定性过程主导高原典型河流浮游植物地理分布格局和群落构建

浮游植物在河流生态系统的生物地球化学循环中起着重要作用,然而,雅鲁藏布江作为我国典型的高寒河流,关于调控其浮游植物群落结构的机制尚不清楚。为探究雅鲁藏布江中上游浮游植物群落分布格局及其构建机制,我们于2019年8月(夏季)、11月(秋季)和2020年5月(春季)对该水域进行了浮游植物样品采集、鉴定及水体理化因子测定。通过固定染色法鉴定浮游植物物种、统计物种丰度。结果表明:雅鲁藏布江中上游共鉴定浮游植物452种,隶属8门11纲24目44科121属。浮游植物群落的构建由环境异质性、扩散限制和物种互作关系共同影响。研究区域浮游植物群落在时空上存在显著的地理距离衰减趋势和环境距离衰减趋势;物种互作关系以协作关系为主;地理因素中的海拔(ALT)与水环境因子中的酸碱度(pH)、总溶解性固体(TDS)、盐度(Salt)、溶解氧(DO)、浊度(TUR)和水流速度(V)是驱动雅鲁藏布江中上游浮游植物群落构建的重要影响因子,可通过驱动浮游植物自身的代谢速率及其生态适应性影响群落的地理分布和时空分布格局,间接介导浮游植物群落的构建过程。距离衰减和中性模型结果表明:确定性(环境选择)主导了雅鲁藏布江中上游的浮...     

天津市典型湖库湿地生态完整性评价

对湖库湿地进行生态健康评价,可为湖库湿地生态系统修复和管理提供决策依据。本文以天津市为例,选取20个典型的湖库湿地采样点,基于2018年8—9月期间调查获取的物理、化学和生物群落指标(浮游动物、浮游植物、底栖动物、鱼类、水生大型植物、河岸带植物)数据,构建包含物理完整性、化学完整性和生物完整性在内的生态完整性指数(IEI)对采样点生态健康状况进行评价。根据栖息地环境质量(QHEI)、水质状况和人类活动干扰3方面选取参照点,采用标准化方法筛选候选指标,应用层次分析法计算各指标权重,最终得出天津市典型湖库湿地生态完整性评价结果。结果表明: 1)所有样点中,“健康”点位占5.0%,“较好”点位占20.0%,“一般”点位占35.0%,“较差”点位占30.0%,“差”点位占10.0%。天津市典型湖库湿地生态健康状况整体处于一般水平,呈现出西部优于东部的趋势,空间差异显著;2)基于栖息地评分、水质状况与人类活动干扰相结合选取参照点是可行的,依据水质指标可降低选择参照点时的主观性;3)适用性验证结果表明,IEI可较好表征各点位的健康状况,区分效率明显,适用于评价研究区湖库湿地生态健康状况。     

Changes in the fish and zooplankton communities of Ringsjön,a Swedish lake undergoing man-made eutrophication

During the 20th century Lake Ringsjön has developed from a mesotrophic to a eutrophic lake, and the phytoplankton community has changed from a rather diverse community to a monoculture of blue-green algae. The eutrophication process has accelerated during the last decade. The most important external nutrient loading of today comes from agriculture.Although phosphorus has been shown to be the primary nutrient leading to excessive algal growth in fresh water, several biotic factors — such as interactions between nutrients, phytoplankton, zooplankton and planktivorous fish — may play a decisive role in the occurrence and maintenance of large algal blooms.The aim of this investigation was to study the changes in the fish community of Lake Ringsjön, especially the most dominant planktivores, and the state of the zooplankton community during the seventies. The fish fauna is dominated by cyprinids, especially roach, and there are relatively few predatory fish. During the seventies the mean size of roach decreased, and measurements of the zooplankton community indicated that the predation pressure on zooplankton had increased. The mean sizes of cladocerans such as Daphnia and Bosmina, which were selected for by the planktivorous fish, decreased; the size of the calanoid Diaptomus, which was not preyed upon by the dominating fish species, did not change. The growth of zooplankton-feeding stages of several fish species was retarded, which meant that the growth of young perch decreased, while older roach were mainly affected. In the prevailing situation, planktivorous roach can maintain a numerous population of small individuals, whereas the predatory perch is at a disadvantage, and predation on zooplankton is intense.     

陶粒浮床对草鱼养殖池塘水质和浮游植物的影响

为了探讨陶粒浮床对草鱼养殖池塘浮游植物群落结构的影响, 将6个池塘随机分为两组, 分别为浮床组和对照组, 2013年510月对养殖池塘的藻类群落结构和水质因子进行定期采样分析。结果表明: 浮床组池塘水体透明度显著高于对照组(P0.05), 养殖后期, 浮床组主要营养盐指标显著低于对照组(P0.05), 微生物总数显著高于对照组(P0.05)。水质理化指标波动范围小, 系统稳定性较强。试验期间共检出浮游藻类8门111属179种, 其中绿藻93种, 蓝藻25种, 硅藻23种, 裸藻17种, 黄藻6种, 甲藻5种, 金藻5种, 隐藻5种。在养殖中后期, 陶粒浮床对藻类的种类组成有显著影响, 藻类种数明显高于对照组, 浮床组和对照组浮游植物数量范围分别为101. 95106614.95 106 ind./L和151.43106612.60 106 ind./L, 生物量范围分别为90.79402.85 mg/L和116.33831.55 mg/L, 到养殖中后期(8月份以后), 对照组浮游植物的生物量显著高于浮床组(P0.05)。绿藻门和蓝藻门的贡献率一直占总密度的90%以上。浮游植物群落呈明显的季节变化, 绿藻门呈先降低后升高的趋势, 蓝藻门相反。试验初期浮游植物的优势种为栅藻; 在试验开始30d后, 浮床组栅藻继续保持优势藻的地位, 对照组的优势种则变为平裂藻和微囊藻; 78月份, 浮床组和对照组的优势种均为蓝藻门的平裂藻, 9月份后优势藻逐渐由栅藻和绿球藻取代。浮床组和对照组藻类多样性指数无显著差异, 物种丰富度均呈逐渐下降的趋势, 范围为3.165.59, Shannon指数和Simpson指数均呈先降低后升高的趋势, 范围分别为1.502.46和0.540.87。陶粒浮床对改善池塘水质、丰富藻类种类组成、降低过高生物量和微囊藻爆发的风险有一定作用。       

Key factors determining water quality,fish community dynamics,and the ecological health in an Asian temperate lotic system

Identifying the key determinants and their impacts on water quality and fish community structure is imperative to environmental assessment and ecosystem conservation. The main objectives of this study were to assess the factors driving water quality, fish assemblages, and ecological health in a temperate lotic ecosystem using a long-term (12 years) dataset. The results indicate that sewage treatment plants significantly negatively impact river water quality and are primary pollution sources. Temporal fluctuations showed that the summer monsoon adversely influenced TN and EC due to dilution effects while increasing the COD and TSS in the water. Annual variations and the Mann–Kendall test demonstrated increasing trends in COD, TN:TP ratio, and CHL-a but a decreasing trend of TP with the impoundment. Artificial barriers (weirs) in the river created more favorable algal growth conditions due to increased water residence time. COD and TSS levels in the river were significantly affected by soil erosion. The environmental disturbance measures index indicated that all sites were severely degraded. Fish composition analysis suggested that exotic fish species such as, Lepomis macrochirus and Micropterus salmoides, dominated the community structure and negatively impacted native species after the installation of weirs. Our findings indicate that fish guilds and the IBI model are controlled by nutrient enrichment, organic matter, algal production, and land use/land cover. Water quality governs the biological health of the river. Overall, evaluation of the river's ecological health based on the multi-metric WPI and the IBI revealed that the river has a “poor” to “very poor” ecological status. The outcomes of this study may aid policymakers in managing and restoring the river.     

On the algal ecology of the lowland Iraqi marshes

An account is given of the algal vegetation in the near boat channels in the central area of the lowland Iraqi marshes. Sampling was carried out in February and September. The water here may be characterized as relatively turbid, slightly saline, highly calcareous and probably typically mesotrophic. Diatoms dominated the phytoplankton, many of the species being ones which are at least as characteristic of benthic communities. Periphyton was more conspicuous in February than September, with filamentous green algae especially common in February. Blue-green algae were more common in September; they frequently formed a felt with several different species and irregular deposition of calcite. Heterocystous blue-green algae were frequent in the periphyton but apparently not so in the plankton. A well-developed laminated community of blue-green algae and purple phototrophic bacteria occurred on the wooden hull of a boat.     

营养盐加富和鱼类添加对浮游植物群落演替和多样性的影响

浮游植物是水体生态系统敞水区最重要的初级生产者,其组成与多样性反映了群落的结构类型和存在状态。通过围隔实验,模拟水库春季发生的营养盐加富和鱼类放养的干扰,分析在这两种干扰下的浮游植物群落演替过程中优势种和稀有种的变化,并通过以丰度与生物量为变量的香农和辛普森多样性指数的计算,分析浮游植物群落演替过程中的多样性变化特征。结果表明,营养盐加富干扰下的浮游植物群落的优势种变化和演替更为明显,营养盐加富与鱼类添加对浮游植物群落多样性变化的影响符合中度干扰理论。在优势种优势度变化较大的浮游植物群落演替过程中,多样性指数与浮游植物生物量有较高的负相关性。在浮游植物群落演替过程中,香农和辛普森多样性指数的变化趋势基本一致,采用丰度与生物量为变量的两种多样性指数的计算结果对实验系统中浮游植物群落多样性的分析结果没有明显的影响。     

Seasonal succession of cladocerans and phytoplankton and their interactions in a shallow eutrophic lake (Lake Vela,Portugal)

Lake Vela is a polymictic shallow lake exhibiting some characteristics typical of an advanced trophic state, namely, the permanently turbid water, the reduction in biodiversity, and the recurrent occurrence of Cyanobacteria blooms, which occasionally lead to large fish kills. This study was carried out in order to understand the seasonal variation of Lake Vela’s phytoplankton and cladoceran communities and their interactions under advanced eutrophic conditions. When comparing our results with general models of plankton succession observed in other temperate and tropical lakes we found some coherence between several seasonal events. Our results suggest that phytoplankton is mainly regulated by nutrients (“bottom-up” effect). However, the warm mediterranean temperatures had an important role in the phytoplankton succession, being responsible for the rapid and intense Cyanobacteria development in spring and summer. Our work also demonstrated that phytoplankton is one of the main factors responsible for the seasonal structure of the community of cladocerans, which are well related to changes in algae diversity and abundance, being the Cyanobacteria having major impact. Moreover, the occurrence of a massive Cyanobacteria bloom during the study, which induced anoxia and consequent fish kill, enhanced the structuring role that fish have on the cladoceran seasonal succession and the effects of this episode in the normal seasonal succession of plankton.     

Macrozoobenthos communities and biocoenotic assessment of ecological status in relation to degree of human impact in small streams in southwest Germany

One of the major objectives of the VALIMAR project is to determine the ecological significance of various fish biomarker studies as indicators of chronic pollution in small streams in southwest Germany. Results of these fish biomarker investigations were compared to information from complementary studies on the meiobenthos, macrobenthos, and fish community studies to assess the ecological significance of these biomarker investigations. The main objective of this study was to provide biological assessments of the biomarker sites on the basis of the macrozoobenthos communities. Since no validated framework for the assessment of the biological integrity existed in Germany, two multimetric approaches were adapted to the whole stream system by investigating benthos and fish communities of 46 sites of varying degrees of human disturbance. Assessment of the communities was conducted in accordance with the European Community Water Framework Directive. Species distribution of benthos depended upon stream type and pollution status of streams. Biological attributes and bioindices of benthos communities, however, did not correlate with typological parameters like stream size or dominant substrate but correlated better with pollution parameters like conductivity or chloride concentration. Using a set of 18 measures, such as portion of sessile individuals, Rheoindex, oxygen availability index, and portion of pool dwellers, the benthos communities were characterized and evaluated. The composition of the fish communities was mainly determined by stream type, pollution and migration barriers. The influence of chemical parameters could be assessed by developing a“fish chemistry index”, which calculatesthe similarity of the present fish community with the potential natural community, but excludes those species strongly effected by deficits in stream channel morphology. Both fish chemistry index and benthic indices strongly correlated with pollution index parameters, clearly distinguishing between the more polluted Körsch sites and the less pollutedKrähenbach and Aich sites. Most of the single bioindices as well as overall assessment by multimetric indices indicated a gradient of decreasing quality from the reference stream Krähenbach to theslightly polluted Aich and Körsch upstream site (KE, upstream of all sewage treatment plants) and finally to the most polluted Körsch site directlybelow the most upstream sewage treatment plant (KD). According to the Water Framework Directive, the classification of ecological status of the benthos communities ranges from “high” (best of 5 classes) forthe reference stream to “bad” (5th class) for KD. Assessment of the fish community tends to score somewhat worse than the benthos due to deficits in morphological quality of the stream reaches. The benthos assessment and the newlydeveloped “fish chemistry index” correlated well with chemical water quality and hence with biomarkers, whereas ecological status of fish and overall ecological status was also influenced by river morphology. In conclusion all tested assessment methods on biocoenotic level are reliable indicators for the degree of human disturbance on small streams, whereas biomarkers are more suited for risk assessment and the investigation ofcause-effect-relationships.     

Quantifying Ecological Stability: From Community to the Lake Ecosystem

We performed a methodological study aimed at extending our previously developed approach to quantify the ecological stability of biotic communities and an entire ecosystem, using Lake Kinneret as a case study. The ecological stability of the biotic communities (phytoplankton and zooplankton) of Lake Kinneret was estimated using two different aggregating schemes. The first scheme used the combined stability index, based on the combined indices of the individual phytoplankton (SI[Comb]_P) and zooplankton (SI[Comb]_Z) taxonomic groups. The total community stability index was calculated based on the total abundances of these communities. The stability of the entire ecosystem was estimated for two sets of ecosystem state variables, a lake “trophic state” set and a “water quality” set, which provided considerably different estimates of the lake ecosystem stability. Good agreement between the results of this study and qualitative estimates of Lake Kinneret stability validates the suitability of this approach to estimate the stability of different ecological units.