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.     

湖泊生态恢复的基本原理与实现

当前我国湖泊污染及富营养化问题非常严重。湖泊治理的一个有效途径就是恢复水生植物,通过草型湖泊生态系统的培植来达到控制富营养化和净化水质的目的。但是,迄今为止,只有在局部水域或滨岸地区获得成功,恢复的水生植物主要是挺水植物或漂浮植物。鲜有全湖性的水生植物恢复和生态修复成功的例子。原因是对湖泊生态系统退化及其修复的机理了解甚少。实际上,环境条件不同决定了生态系统类型的不同,只有通过环境条件的改变才能实现生态系统的转变。利用草型湖泊生态系统来净化水质,其实质是利用生态系统对环境条件的反馈机制。但是,这种反馈无法从根本上改变其环境条件,因此其作用是有限的,不宜过分夸大。以往许多湖泊生态修复的工作之所以鲜有成功的例子,原因就是过于注重水生植物种植本身,而忽视了水生植物生长所需的环境条件的分析和改善。实施以水生植物恢复为核心的生态修复需要一定的前提条件。就富营养化湖泊生态恢复而言,这些环境条件包括氮磷浓度不能太高,富含有机质的沉积物应该去除,风浪不能太大以免对水生植物造成机械损伤,水深不能太深以免影响水生植物光合作用,鱼类种群结构应以食肉性鱼为主等等。因此,在湖泊污染很重或者氮磷负荷很高的情况下,寻求以沉水植物为核心的湖泊生态恢复来改善水质是不切实际的。为此,提出湖泊治理应该遵循先控源截污、后生态恢复,即先改善基础环境,后实施生态恢复的战略路线。     

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.     

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.     

Phosphorus and Nitrogen Budgets of Barton Broad and Predicted Effects of a Reduction in Nutrient Loading on Phytoplankton Biomass in Barton,Sutton and Stalham Broads,Norfolk, United Kingdom

Barton, Sutton and Stalham Broads are shallow, man-made lakes formed in mediaeval times when peat excavations were flooded. Recently, a once diverse submerged macrophyte flora has, in most broads, been replaced by large phytoplankton populations. This change has been attributed to increased nutrient loadings. The seasonal cycles of chlorophyll α, nitrogen and phosphorus in the three broads are described and the inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to Barton Broad are budgeted. A reduction in the phosphorus loading is recommended as the best method of restricting phytoplankton populations in these broads. An equation relating phosphorus loading, flushing rate, mean depth and retention coefficient to mean standing phosphorus concentration is used to predict the reduction in phosphorus loading required to limit phytoplankton populations and permit the re-establishment of submerged macrophytes.     

Nutrient control of phytoplankton production in Lake Naivasha,Kenya

Lake Naivasha, a shallow tropical lake in Kenya's Rift Valley, has an unstable water column and is moderately eutrophic. Nutrient (bottom-up) control of primary production is more important than grazing (top-down) control. Experimental nutrient enrichment was used to investigate bottom-up control in more detail. Minor nutrients were not found to be limiting, whilst nitrogen was more limiting than phosphorus with an algal preference for ammonium over nitrate. Sediments form a phosphorus sink but there is hypolimnetic release from the one area showing regular temporary stratification. This indicates that the rate of primary production in the water column could double if conditions change to allow lake-wide nutrient release from sediments. Both external and recycled nutrient regeneration are important.     

浅水湖泊浮水植物芡实收割对浮游植物群落的影响

浅水湖泊生态系统正遭受广泛而强烈的人为干扰,但是对收割水生植物干扰的研究甚少。于2019年8月对芡实过度生长的陈瑶湖进行通道式分区收割工程,分析了收割芡实（Euryale ferox）前后不同处理组浮游植物群落的变化。研究期间共鉴定出浮游植物6门47属72种,其中收割前63种,收割后71种。收割后浮游植物的细胞密度和生物量均高于收割前,分别增加了39.78%和5.09%。收割芡实导致陈瑶湖浮游植物群落为由蓝藻-绿藻-硅藻-隐藻群落转变为蓝藻-绿藻-硅藻群落。其中蓝藻细胞密度和生物量显著高于收割前（P<0.05）,归因于有害蓝藻（铜绿微囊藻Microcystis aeruginosa、水华束丝藻Aphanizomenon flos-aquae、小颤藻Oscillatoria tenuis、卷曲鱼腥藻Dolicospermum circinale、小席藻Phormidium tenu）的增加。收割还导致了硅藻群落由附生型向浮游型硅藻的转变,表现为尖针杆藻（Ulnaria acus）减少,而颗粒直链藻极狭变种（Aulacoseira granulata var.angustissima）、梅尼小环藻（Cyclotella meneghiniana）增加。在芡实收割过程中,未收割组和河道的浮游植物群落结构在时空分布上无显著性差异（P>0.05）,但收割组在收割后的不同阶段内差异较为明显,其细胞密度和生物量随着收割实验的结束逐渐降低。浮游植物与环境因子的相关性分析表明,水生植被覆盖度、总磷、总氮、溶解氧和叶绿素a浓度是影响浮游植物细胞密度和生物量变化的主要环境因子。综合陈瑶湖水质状态,本研究认为收割芡实并不能缓解浅水湖泊富营养化状况,研究结果为浅水湖泊水生植被的管理提供理论依据。     

Seasonal Variation of Virioplankton in a Eutrophic Shallow Lake

Lake Donghu is a typical eutrophic freshwater lake in which high abundance of planktonic viruses was recently revealed. In this study, seasonal variation of planktonic viruses were observed at three different trophic sites, hypertrophic, eutrophic, and mesotrophic regions, and the correlation between their abundances and other aquatic environmental components, such as bacterioplankton, chlorophyll a, burst size, pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature, was analyzed for the period of an year. Virioplankton abundance detected by transmission electron microscope (TEM) ranged from 5.48 × 10⁸ to 2.04 × 10⁹ ml⁻¹ in all the sites throughout the study, and the high abundances and seasonal variations of planktonic viruses were related to the trophic status at the sampled sites in Lake Donghu. Their annual mean abundances were, the highest at the hypertrophic site (1.23×10⁹ ml⁻¹), medium at the eutrophic site (1.19×10⁹ ml⁻¹), and the lowest at the mesotrophic site (1.02×10⁹ ml⁻¹). The VBR (virus-to-bacteria ratio) values were high, ranging from 49 to 56 on average at the three sampled sites. The data suggested that the high viral abundance and high VBR values might be associated with high density of phytoplankton including algae and cyanobacteria in this eutrophic shallow lake, and that planktonic viruses are important members of freshwater ecosystems.     

Weedbeds and big bugs: the importance of scale in detecting the influence of nutrients and predation on macroinvertebrates in plant‐dominated shallow lakes

1. The scale of investigations influences the interpretation of results. Here, we investigate the influence of fish and nutrients on biotic communities in shallow lakes, using studies at two different scales: (i) within‐lake experimental manipulation and (ii) comparative, among‐lake relationships. 2. At both scales, fish predation had an overriding influence on macroinvertebrates; fish reduced macroinvertebrate biomass and altered community composition. Prey selection appeared to be size based. Fish influenced zooplankton abundance and light penetration through the water column also, but there was no indication that fish caused increased resuspension of sediment. 3. There were effects of nutrients at both scales, but these effects differed with the scale of the investigation. Nutrients increased phytoplankton and periphyton at the within‐lake scale, and were associated with increased periphyton at the among‐lake scale. No significant effect of nutrients on macroinvertebrates was observed at the within‐lake scale. However, at the among‐lake scale, nutrients positively influenced the biomass and density of macroinvertebrates, and ameliorated the effect of fish on macroinvertebrates. 4. Increased prey availability at higher nutrient concentrations would be expected to cause changes in the fish community. However, at the among‐lake scale, differences were not apparent in fish biomass among lakes with different nutrient conditions, suggesting that stochastic events influence the fish community in these small and relatively isolated shallow lakes. 5. The intensity of predation by fish significantly influences macroinvertebrate community structure of shallow lakes, but nutrients also play a role. The scale of investigation influences the ability to detect the influence of nutrients on the different components of shallow lake communities, particularly for longer lived organisms such as macroinvertebrates, where the response takes longer to manifest.     

Are zooplankton food resources poor in the vegetated littoral zone of shallow lakes?

1. The distribution of zooplankton in shallow lakes is negatively related to macrophyte density. However, the abundance of their food along density gradients of macrophytes is unknown. A common but untested assumption is that food quantity and quality for pelagic zooplankton is poor in the littoral zone owing to the deleterious influence of macrophytes on phytoplankton. 2. We tested this assumption with a combination of a field survey and laboratory experiments. We collected seston samples from the littoral and pelagic zones of four shallow temperate lakes and related food quantity (phytoplankton biovolume) and quality to macrophyte abundance (per cent volume infested). Seston food quality was assessed in three ways: N/C and P/C ratios, polyunsaturated fatty acid content and phytoplankton community composition. In the laboratory, we measured the growth and reproduction of Daphnia pulicaria on diets consisting of seston from the littoral and pelagic zones in one lake. 3. In our four study lakes, food quantity was not significantly influenced by macrophyte abundance, and food quality was generally high. Laboratory experiments showed increased juvenile growth, but no significant change in D. pulicaria reproduction, when feeding on littoral resources compared to pelagic resources. 4. Our results suggest that there is no nutritional cost to pelagic zooplankton inhabiting the littoral zone. Therefore, it is likely that other factors (e.g. predation, abiotic factors) are involved in determining zooplankton habitat use.     

Long-term phytoplankton changes in a shallow hypertrophic lake,Albufera of Valencia (Spain)

A long-term phytoplankton study was carried out in the Albufera of Valencia, a shallow hypertrophic lake (surface area 21 km², mean depth 1 m, total inorganic nitrogen load 155 g m^-2 y^-1, total inorganic phosphate load 15 g m^-2 y^-1) from 1980 to 1988. The lake functions as a reservoir for the surrounding rice cultivation. From 1940's to 1988, its phytoplankton assemblage has been altered from a mesotrophic to a hypertrophic character, as consequence of the increasing pollution. For 1980–88, annual variations in the phytoplankton were less pronounced than seasonal changes. The hypertrophic and morphometric features of the lake favoured the stability of the phytoplankton assemblage and chlorophyll a levels during the study period. Seasonal and horizontal distribution of the total phytoplankton abundance and biomass were highly influenced by the hydrological cycle of the lagoon. Compared with other shallow nutrient rich lakes, the Albufera of Valencia is similar to the shallow hypertrophic lakes of the Netherlands.     

Seasonality of Melosira-plankton of the great northern lakes

The paper discusses the seasonality of Melosira-plankton in Ladoga and Onega Lakes and its comparison with that in other large northern lakes. The periodicity of Melosira in dimictic temperate lakes is mainly connected with periods of turbulence of the lake water in spring and autumn. The role of Melosira in the primary productivity of great northern lakes is important both for the oligotrophic phase and in the case of eutrophication. In very advanced states of eutrophication the spring crop of Melosira-plankton may be the cause of oxygen depletion in the hypolimnion.