A Comparison of Phytoplankton and Algae Growing on Plexiglas Slides in an Oligotrophic Lake

This study compares the composition and dynamics of phytoplankton communities and of periphyton communities growing on Plexiglas slides in a temperate oligotrophic lake. Ordination methods were used in the comparisons, which covered a three-month period during the summer. Plankton and periphyton communities differed considerably, and shared only six common taxa. An ephemeral Dinobryon pulse occurred simultaneously in both communities, and represented the largest source of variability in community composition. Recovery from the pulse was faster in the phytoplankton than in the periphyton. Attachment to substrata, through its effect on cell turnover times and nutrient cycling, is hypothesized to provide a temporal refuge for plankton species during periods of unfavorable environmental conditions.     

The role of periphytes in the shift between macrophyte and phytoplankton dominated systems in a shallow, eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu, China)

Based on experiments of periphyte response to different trophic levels and their impact on macrophyte production, it was found that the periphyte biomass increased with the nutrient concentrations. Increased trophic level and periphyte biomass resulted in decreased macrophyte photosynthesis. It was suggested that the periphytes could cause resilience and hysteresis in the system shifts between macrophyte and phytoplankton domination. Other factors, such as fish farming, storm induced waves and mechanical destruction, and high water levels could be the perturbations during the system shifts, but these are not the key factors. Instead, the nutrient loading and periphyte abundance could determine the shift in lake ecosystem between macrophyte and phytoplankton domination. This finding could theoretically elucidate the mechanism of ecosystem shifts between macrophyte and phytoplankton domination.     

The response of Vallisneria spinulosa (Hydrocharitaceae) to different loadings of ammonia and nitrate at moderate phosphorus concentration: a mesocosm approach

1. While phosphorus (P) is often considered the most important growth limiting factor for plants in lakes, recent studies of shallow lakes indicate that nitrogen (N) may be of greater importance than realized hitherto and that submerged macrophytes may be lost when the N concentration exceeds a certain threshold, as long as the concentration of P is sufficiently high. 2. We studied the effects of different loadings of NH₄‐N and NO₃‐N on chlorophyll a and on a macrophyte tolerant of eutrophication, Vallisneria spinulosa (Hydrocharitaceae). In outdoor mesocosms we used water from a pond as control and created four levels of NH₄‐N and NO₃‐N (approximately 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 mg L⁻¹) by dosing with NH₄Cl and NaNO₃, respectively. After the experiment, the plants were transferred back to a holding pond to study their recovery. In contrast to previous research, we used a low background concentration of phosphorus (TP 0.024 ± 0.003 mg L⁻¹) so we could judge whether any effects of N were apparent when P is in short supply. 3. Chlorophyll a increased significantly with N dosing for both forms of N, but the increase was highest in the NH₄‐N dosed mesocosms (maximum 58 μg L⁻¹ versus 42 μg L⁻¹ in the NO₃‐N mesocosms), probably due to a higher total inorganic N concentration (part of the added ammonia was converted to nitrate during the experiment). 4. Although the number of ramets of V. spinulosa was not affected by the N treatment, the biomass increased up to concentrations of 7.5 mg L⁻¹, while biomass at 10 mg L⁻¹ remained at the control level for both N ions treatments. A similar pattern was apparent for the content of N and soluble sugar of the plant, while there were no differences in the plant P content among treatments. Five months after transplantation back to the pond no difference was found in the number of ramets or in biomass, except that the biomass of plants grown at 10 mg N L⁻¹ during the experiment was greater than that in the control, while the N and P contents of plants were similar to those of the controls. 5. Nitrogen concentration had little influence on the growth of the eutrophication tolerant submerged macrophyte at moderately low concentrations of phosphorus. Moreover, the two N ions showed no toxic effects, suggesting that loss of macrophytes observed in other studies, run at higher phosphorus concentrations, was probably related to enhanced shading by periphyton and/or phytoplankton rather than to any toxic effects of N.     

Variations in the periphytic community structure and dynamics of Lake Nahuel Huapi (Patagonia,Argentina)

Little is known about periphyton community in Patagonia and the influence that urban development has on a particular water body. Lake Nahuel Huapi is located in a National Park with little industrial or agricultural activity in the basin, but it is influenced by urban discharges from San Carlos de Bariloche, a town of 80000 inhabitants located on its south shore. Variations in structure and dynamics of the periphyton community in Lake Nahuel Huapi were studied during 1 year, to examine the influence of urban discharges on this community. Periphyton samples were collected on the shoreline of the lake and evaluated for biomass (as chlorophyll a concentration) and cell density of the main algal groups, at sites with and without urban influence. Results indicated the major influence of pollution from urban sources on periphyton at the most impacted sites, as well as the effect of different local events at each site (degree of contamination, type of coast, wind exposure, etc.). Higher biomass and cell densities at contaminated sites were evident, but the variation of main algal groups through the year was similar in all the sites. Periphyton in Lake Nahuel Huapi proved to be an important bioindicator of urban impacts on this water body.     

淀山湖浮游植物群落特征及其演替规律

为探明淀山湖浮游植物群落结构演变与富营养化之间的关系,于2004-2006年对上海市最大天然淡水湖泊淀山湖的浮游植物进行逐月采样调查,分析其群落结构特征.共采集到淀山湖浮游植物84属205种,主要由绿藻(种类数占50%)、硅藻(20%)、蓝藻(13%)、裸藻(13%)等组成.相邻两月之间种类相似性系数呈现冬春季高、夏秋季低的趋势:优势种为银灰平裂藻(Merismopedia glauca)、小席藻(Phormidium tenus)、铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)、具缘微囊藻(M.marginata)、湖泊鞘丝藻(Lyngbya limnetica)、微小色球藻(Chroococcus minutus),颗粒直链藻最窄变种(Melosira granulata var.angustissima )、啮蚀隐藻(Cryptomonas erosa)、小球藻(Chlorella vulgate)和四尾栅藻(Scenedesmus quadricauda)等.浮游植物群落细胞数量主要由蓝藻(42.73%)、绿藻(37.75%)、硅藻(12.67%)和隐藻(6.06%)组成;生物量主要由硅藻(36.75%)、蓝藻(16.78%)、绿藻(16.36%)和隐藻03.53%)等组成.淀山湖浮游植物群落结构季节演替模式不同于PEG(Plankton Ecology Group)模型,其中蓝藻从春末开始大量出现,夏季大量繁殖,一直延续到秋初.综合文献资料看出,淀山湖浮游植物群落已从1959年的硅藻一金藻型、1987-1988年的隐藻-硅藻型演变为2004-2006年的蓝藻-绿藻型;数量由1959年的103 ind./L上升至2004-2006年的1.11×107 cells/L.演替的总体趋势表现为:贫中营养型的金藻、甲藻比例下降,富营养型的蓝藻、隐藻和微型绿藻增加.浮游植物数量和群落结构的演变指示了淀山湖水体的富营养化进程.     

Water-Level Fluctuations in Mediterranean Reservoirs: Setting a Dewatering Threshold as a Management Tool to Improve Water Quality

Water-level fluctuations, often linked to seasonal climatic trends, are a natural phenomenon which occur in almost all aquatic ecosystems. In some climatic regions, as the Mediterranean one, they are particularly wide due to the occurrence of two well separated periods: the rainy winter and the almost completely dry summer. Precipitation is concentrated in the first period, whereas in the second strong evaporation losses take place. According to these climatic features, and to ensure a continuous supply of water throughout the year, man-made lakes store water during winter and are subjected to dewatering during summer to compensate the lack of precipitation. These ecosystems are thus characterised by rather wide water level fluctuations which were observed to transform them from potentially warm monomictic lakes into polymictic or atelomictic ones. These changes deeply affect the biological structure and the functions of the water bodies impairing the response of some ecosystem properties, as resilience and resistance, since the impacts are immense enough to move the systems out of their homeostatic plateau of, respectively, deep or shallow lakes. In order to understand to what extent a reservoir can be “emptied” without changing its ecosystemic identity (deep or shallow lake sensu Padisák & Reynolds, 2003) and to set a “dewatering threshold”, the results from two different hydrological years, one with a dewatering so intense as to disrupt thermal stratification in midsummer, and the other one with water enough to allow the maintenance of the reservoir’s thermal structure throughout the summer, are compared. Former investigations have shown that the persistence of thermal stratification has a positive value in Sicilian reservoirs: a notable decrease in total phytoplankton biomass and in the relative occurrence of cyanoprokaryotes was observed in the high-level year with a stable thermal stratification. Although the solving of the external load problems causing eutrophication phenomena remain the main task to improve the water quality of this Mediterranean island, a management procedure, based on the maintaining of the ecosystem within its homeostatic plateau through the setting of a dewatering threshold, is suggested.     

A reference system for continental running waters: plant communities as bioindicators of increasing eutrophication in alkaline and acidic waters in north-east France

Two bioindication scales of the degree of eutrophication based on aquatic macrophyte communities were established in two types of running waters free of organic matter, the one in acidic soft waters (pH 5.5–7.0, conductivity 40–110 S.cm^–1), the other in alkaline hard waters (pH 7–8, conductivity 500–900 S.cm^–1). We show that the main determining factor of the macrophyte distribution is the nutrient level (trophy), especially the level of phosphate and ammonia. The acidic scale, with increasing pH, includes four stages ranging from oligotrophic to eutrophic level (traces to 300 g.l^–1 N-NHinf4^p+ and P-PO₄ ^3–), while the alkaline scale at constant pH comprises six stages of a trophic gradient. For the most part, the floristic composition found in the two sequences is different and depends on conductivity and alkalinity variation. However, some species occur in the two scales and may reflect differences in the trophic level, depending on whether the waters are alkaline or acidic. This change of trophic level for these species is discussed.     

光照和营养对亚热带浅水湖泊初级生产者的复合影响——基于微宇宙实验研究

沉水植物、附着藻类和浮游植物作为浅水湖泊中的主要初级生产者,其竞争相互作用受到氮磷营养浓度升高和弱光胁迫的共同影响。探究营养盐和光照变化如何单独/共同影响这三种初级生产者及它们之间的相互作用关系,对于进一步理解全球气候变化背景下湖泊稳态的维持机制具有重要意义。选取长江流域冬春季节的优势种菹草(Potamogeton crispus)为植物材料,通过室内微宇宙模拟实验,设置不同营养(低营养：总氮0.8mg/L,总磷0.03mg/L,中营养：总氮1.8mg/L,总磷0.14mg/L)和遮荫处理(30%、60%和100%入射光强度),研究光照和营养水平对不同水体初级生产者的影响差异。结果表明：实验设置的营养范围内,营养增加促进菹草、附着藻类和浮游植物的生长,但是氮磷营养盐对附着藻类和浮游植物的促进作用远远大于对沉水植物的促进作用。遮荫增加显著抑制菹草的生长,但只有在中营养条件下,光照对生长的影响才明显,低营养条件下,光照对生长的影响不明显。相较于光强变化,浮游植物和附着藻类对水体营养的响应更为敏感,营养盐浓度不同造成的生物量差异远远大于光强不同造成的差异,表明实验过程中浮游植物和附着藻类的生长主要受营养盐的限制。因此,随着富营养化趋势加剧,由于弱光条件下菹草生长不佳,对藻类的抑制作用变弱,光强减弱和营养增加的联合作用会促进藻类的生长形成遮荫作用,引发植物种群衰退。水体富营养化过程中可溶性有机质输入增加、风浪增强和生物扰动等因素变化会降低湖泊下层光照强度,加剧富营养化对沉水植物的影响,从而对不同季节湖泊生态系统稳态维持产生不利影响。     

额尔古纳河流域秋季浮游植物群落结构特征

2008年8-9月对额尔古纳河流域5个重要水体呼伦湖、乌兰泡、二卡湿地、伊敏河和哈乌尔河进行浮游植物调查,结果显示：1）共鉴定浮游植物8门82属177种（含变种）,以绿藻和硅藻种类最多,绿藻有36属77种,占43.5%,硅藻21属54种,占30.5%;其次是蓝藻,13属26种,占14.7%;裸藻4属11种,占6.2%;其他藻类仅占5.1%;2）在呼伦湖共有64属121种,乌兰泡47属88种,二卡湿地62属116种,伊敏河41属59种,哈乌尔河32属54种;优势度分析显示：呼伦湖与乌兰泡优势种为蓝藻和绿藻,二卡湿地为硅藻与隐藻,伊敏河与哈乌尔河为硅藻;蓝藻个体密度在乌兰泡与呼伦湖最大,分别为5.17?106 ind./L和4.01?106 ind./L,而硅藻密度则在二卡湿地、伊敏河与哈乌尔河占优势,分别为1.40?106 ind./L、1.84?105 ind./L与4.89?105 ind./L;此外,聚类分析显示5个水体的浮游植物群落按结构特征可分为两大类;3）与历史记录相比,呼伦湖的优势种转变为细胞较小的坚实微囊藻(M. firma)与不定微囊藻(M. incerta),这种小型化的趋势表明呼伦湖水体富营养化程度加剧;4）综合多种指标对水质状况进行评估：呼伦湖、乌兰泡为中-富营养水体,二卡湿地为中营养水体,伊敏河与哈乌尔河属于贫-中营养水体。     

Effects of aquatic macrophytes on water quality and phytoplankton communities in shallow lakes

We investigated aquatic macrophytes, water quality, and phytoplankton biomass and species composition in three shallow lakes with different levels of vegetation cover and nutrient concentration in Kushiro Moor, during August 2000. Trapa japonica can live in a wide range of nutrient levels. This species forms an environment with a steeper extinction of light, higher concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), lower concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) near the bottom, and lower concentrations of nitrate+nitrite and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) than other vegetation types. The pH was much higher in a Polygonum amphibium community, and the DO near the bottom did not decrease compared to a T.japonica community in the summer. The relationship between chlorophyll a and the limiting nutrient (total phosphorus (TP) when total nitrogen (TN):TPis 10 and TN/10 when TN:TP is <10) significantly differed between lakes with and without submerged vegetation. The chlorophyll a concentrations at a given nutrient level were significantly lower in water with submerged macrophytes than in water without them. Correspondence analysis showed that the difference in phytoplankton community structure across sites was largely due to the presence or absence of submerged macrophytes, and the ordination of phytoplankton species in the lakes with submerged macrophytes is best explained by environmental gradients of TN, chlorophyll, pH and SRP.     

Long‐term phytoplankton community changes in a deep subalpine lake: responses to nutrient availability and climatic fluctuations

1. In natural lakes, modifications in the species composition and abundance of phytoplankton communities may ultimately be responses to changes in nutrient availability and climatic fluctuations. Phytoplankton and associated environmental factors were collected at monthly intervals from the beginning of the 1990s to 2007 in the large subalpine Lake Garda (z_max = 350 m, V = 49 × 10⁹ m³). In this study period, the lake showed a slight and continuous increase of total phosphorus (TP) in the water column, up to concentrations of 18–20 μg P L^?1. This increase represented the last stage of a long‐term process of enrichment documented since the 1970s, when concentrations of TP were below or around 10 μg P L^?1. 2. At the community level, annual phytoplankton cycles underwent a unidirectional and slow shift mainly due to changes in the species more affected by the nutrient enrichment of the lake. After a first and long period of dominance by conjugatophytes (Mougeotia) and diatoms (Fragilaria), phytoplankton biomass in recent years was sustained by cyanobacteria (Planktothrix). Other important modifications in the development of phytoplankton were superimposed on this pattern due to the effects of annual climate fluctuations principally mediated by the deep mixing events at spring overturn and, secondarily, by temperature and thermal stability of the water column during the growing season. 3. Interannual variations in the stability and temperature of the water column appeared to influence the development of a few subdominant flagellates (dinophytes and cryptophytes). Nevertheless, the major impact of climate on phytoplankton was indirect, and mediated through the effects of winter climatic conditions on deep mixing dynamics. Winter climatic fluctuations proved to be a key element in a linked chain of causal factors including cooling of hypolimnetic waters, deep vertical mixing and epilimnetic nutrient replenishment. The process of fertilisation was measurable both for TP and dissolved inorganic nitrogen, although only the first had a large effect, reinforcing the seasonal growth of a few dominant groups. The degree of nutrient replenishment further increased the spring development of large diatoms and the increase of Planktothrix in summer and autumn. 4. Currently, changes in nutrient concentrations have the greatest effect on the phytoplankton community, while direct effects due to the interannual variations in the thermal regime are of secondary importance compared with the indirect effects mediated through deep water mixing and spring fertilisation. Overall, the results demonstrate that the consequences of climatic fluctuations and climate warming on phytoplankton communities need to be studied at different levels of complexity and integration, from the direct effects of temperature and thermal regime, to the indirect effects mediated by the physiographic characteristics of water bodies.     

CHLOROPHYLL-a CONCENTRATION IN THE LOWER KAFUE RIVER AND CHONGWE RIVER BASINS

SUMMARY

The concentration of chlorophyll a was measured in the warm monomictic impoundment, Itezhi-tezhi Lake ([xbar] = 2,00 mg m^?3); in the small, slightly polluted Chongwe Dam ([xbar] = 11,0 mg m^?3); and in the temporary Mungasiya River ([xbar] = 53,4 mg m^?3). The average standing crop of the periphyton of green filamentous algae in the Chongwe River reached 28,3 mg m^?2. The highest concentrations of chlorophyll ([xbar] = 69,6 mg m^?2) were found in the Cyanophyta community of the extreme biotope of Longola Hot Springs.     

白洋淀附着藻类的初级生产力及其与水质的关系

附着藻类是湖泊中主要的生产者,尤其是草型湖泊。但与浮游藻类相比,针对附着藻类初级生产的研究还相对较少。采用原位调查与实验模拟相结合的方法测定2014—2015年间白洋淀附植藻类和附泥藻类的现存量和初级生产力,并对附着藻类初级生产与白洋淀水体理化参数的关系进行分析。结果表明,不同采样季节的附植藻类和附泥藻类的叶绿素a分别为34.83—245.22μg/cm~2和26.08—297.40μg/cm~2,无灰干重分别为0.46—5.21g/m~2和0.61—5.81g/m~2。两种附着藻类的生物量都在8月最高,4月和11月最低。空间分布上,南刘庄、府河入口的附着藻类生物量显著高于采蒲台和枣林庄。白洋淀附植藻类和附泥藻类的年均总初级生产分别为494.20mg C m~(-2)d~(-1)和474.45mg C m~(-2)d~(-1),呼吸速率为522.63mg C m~(-2)d~(-1)和508.98mg C m~(-2)d~(-1),净初级生产为-28.44mg C m~(-2)d~(-1)和-34.52mg C m~(-2)d~(-1)。白洋淀附着藻类初级生产力具有明显的时空分布规律,8月最高,6月次之,4月和11月最低,空间分布呈自西向东递减的趋势,在府河入淀口和南刘庄处最高,枣林庄和采蒲台最低。水质较好的区域的净初级生产力为正值,表明这些区域附着藻类以自养型群落为主,水质较差区域的净初级生产力为负值,则该区域以异养型群落为主。运用冗余分析法(RDA)探讨附着藻类与水质因子之间的关系,并采用向前引入法对水质因子进行逐步筛选,Monte Carlo置换检验结果显示,总磷、浮游植物叶绿素a、高锰酸盐指数、氨氮、水温、透明度、溶解氧和氮磷比是影响附着藻类生物量和初级生产的关键水质因子。附着藻类的总初级生产与水体富营养化程度呈正相关关系。     

Phytoplankton in Sardinian reservoirs

Abstract

A picture of the studies carried out in the past 20 years on phytoplankton from the 36 reservoirs and one natural lake in Sardinia is presented. Processing of the 1994 seasonal data shows that the dominant or subdominant algal species in the 36 reservoirs in terms of density belong to only 8 genera, with species of the genus Microcystis in 17 reservoirs, Chlorella in 15, Cyclotella in 12, Ankistrodesmus and Anabaena in 9, Aphanizomenon in 8, Melosira in 7 and Oocystis in 6. Processing of the data from the 16 reservoirs in which annual or plurennial surveys were carried out, shows that on the basis of the biomass the most likely floristic pattern is Microcystis aeruginosa Kg., Microcystis flos-aquae (Wittr.) Kichn., Anabaena flos-aquae (Lyngb.) Bréb., Anabaena planctonica Brunnth., Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (L.) Ralfs., Melosira granulata (E.) Ralfs and Closterium aciculare T. West. In general terms this means that most of these reservoirs are eutrophic. In fact the species are capable of describing an increasing trophic gradient in agreement with the one described using other variables. Specific cases of reservoirs where plurennial surveys have been carried out are considered. From these surveys a great quali-quantitative variability of the phytoplankton is inferred.     

The phytoplankton community of a eutrophic reservoir

The dynamics of the phytoplankton community of a eutrophic reservoir are described for a two year period. Fifty-eight species were recorded, 25 of them common. Bacillariophyta dominated during the winter and early spring and Chlorophyta during late spring, to be replaced by a bloom of Cyanophyta. The mean and peak biomass of phytoplankton was 8.6 mg 1^–1 and 40.8 mg 1^–1 in 1981, and 8.3 mg 1^–1 and 37.6 mg 1^–1 in 1982. Temperature accounted for 67.3% and pH for 8% of the variation in total phytoplankton biomass over the two year period, using a multiple regression technique.Both horizontal and vertical patchiness, measured as an index of mean crowding, were recorded in the reservoir. Horizontal aggregations were associated with spring blooms of Chlorophyta and summer blooms of Cyanophyta, while vertical aggregations were most marked during the summer bloom of Cyanophyta. Concentrations of phytoplankton were influenced by wind, the prevailing southwesterly wind accumulating algae in the northeasterly arm of the reservoir during much of the year.