Seasonal and interannual dynamics of phytoplankton of the Yenisei River in the area of the Gremyachii Log water-intake facilities

A total of 81 taxa of algae of the rank below the genus of five divisions have been recorded in phytoplankton of the Yenisei River in the area of the Gremyachii Log water-intake facilities. Diatoms dominate in the structure of algocenoses in abundance and biomass. The trophic status of the area, estimated according to the average biomass of phytoplankton 1.92 ± 0.09 mg/L, corresponds to the mesotrophic state; the water quality corresponds to the third class: “satisfactory clean.”     

Seasonal and interannual variability in the taxonomic composition and production dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages in Crater Lake,Oregon

Taxonomic composition and production dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages in Crater Lake, Oregon, were examined during time periods between 1984 and 2000. The objectives of the study were (1) to investigate spatial and temporal patterns in species composition, chlorophyll concentration, and primary productivity relative to seasonal patterns of water circulation; (2) to explore relationships between water column chemistry and the taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton; and (3) to determine effects of primary and secondary consumers on the phytoplankton assemblage. An analysis of 690 samples obtained on 50 sampling dates from 14 depths in the water column found a total of 163 phytoplankton taxa, 134 of which were identified to genus and 101 were identified to the species or variety level of classification. Dominant species by density or biovolume included Nitzschia gracilis, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, Ankistrodesmus spiralis, Mougeotia parvula, Dinobryon sertularia, Tribonema affine, Aphanocapsa delicatissima, Synechocystis sp., Gymnodinium inversum, and Peridinium inconspicuum. When the lake was thermally stratified in late summer, some of these species exhibited a stratified vertical distribution in the water column. A cluster analysis of these data also revealed a vertical stratification of the flora from the middle of the summer through the early fall. Multivariate test statistics indicated that there was a significant relationship between the species composition of the phytoplankton and a corresponding set of chemical variables measured for samples from the water column. In this case, concentrations of total phosphorus, ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and alkalinity were associated with interannual changes in the flora; whereas pH and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, orthophosphate, nitrate, and silicon were more closely related to spatial variation and thermal stratification. The maximum chlorophyll concentration when the lake was thermally stratified in August and September was usually between depths of 100 m and 120 m. In comparison, the depth of maximum primary production ranged from 60 m to 80 m at this time of year. Regression analysis detected a weak negative relationship between chlorophyll concentration and Secchi disk depth, a measure of lake transparency. However, interannual changes in chlorophyll concentration and the species composition of the phytoplankton could not be explained by the removal of the septic field near Rim Village or by patterns of upwelling from the deep lake. An alternative trophic hypothesis proposes that the productivity of Crater Lake is controlled primarily by long-term patterns of climatic change that regulate the supply of allochthonous nutrients.     

Postural dynamics in the standing human

The purpose of this study was to develop a mathematical model of the linkage dynamics in upright standing, and to use this model to study output principles for postural control. The standing human was modelled in the sagittal plane as a three-segment linkage. Mechanical disturbances were simulated as forces which could be applied at various points in this linkage. An iterative approach was used to find joint torque combinations which would restore balance within 80 ms of these mechanical disturbances. The model predicted that a specific proportional relationship was necessary between the hip, knee and ankle torques in order for balance to be restored. This proportional relationship was shown to be a function of the model structure, but independent of the location, direction and amplitude of the disturbance. These predictions were tested experimentally. A disturbance apparatus was designed to apply an impulsive force to the subjects. The joint torque responses of the subjects were in quantitative agreement with the predictions of the model. The results suggest that a fixed relationship between joint torques may be required to restore balance, and this fixed relationship may make the task of postural control simpler for the nervous system.     

Weekly dynamics of phytoplankton functional groups under high water level fluctuations in a subtropical reservoir-bay

In reservoirs, water level fluctuations strongly influence phytoplankton development. However, studies on the response of phytoplankton in the reservoir-bay to water level fluctuations are very scarce, especially in the highly dynamic reservoir system, for instance, the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) on the Yangtze River in China. Therefore, we carried out weekly monitoring in a typical tributary bay—Xiangxi Bay of the TGR from March 2008 to March 2009, to analyze the dynamics of phytoplankton functional groups, as well as their response to the water level fluctuations and other environmental conditions. The phytoplankton functional groups G (short, nutrient-rich water columns with high light and without nutrient deficiency), M (dielly mixed layers of small eutrophic, low latitude with high insolation and without flushing and low total light) and Lo (summer epilimnia in mesotrophic lakes with segregated nutrients and without prolonged or deep mixing) were the most important in biomass, mainly represented by Pandorina morum and Eudorina elegans, Microcystis aeruginosa, Peridiniopsis niei and Ceratium hirundinella, respectively. The dominant functional groups had close relationships with the water level fluctuations, light and nutrient, etc. Principal components analysis and redundancy analysis indicated that phytoplankton functional groups in Xiangxi Bay were restricted by the mixing regime and other abiotic variables under the influences of the mixing regime. In Xiangxi Bay, the water level fluctuation showed significant correlations with many physicochemical variables, including the mixing depth (r = 0.97, p < 0.001) and the relative water column stability (r = −0.80, p < 0.001). The study implied that water level fluctuations had complex influence on environmental changes and selecting for phytoplankton functional groups in a highly dynamic reservoir-bay. The important characteristics of the dominant phytoplankton functional groups in Xiangxi Bay were also discussed.     

Intraseasonal predictability of natural phytoplankton population dynamics

It is difficult to make skillful predictions about the future dynamics of marine phytoplankton populations. Here, we use a 22‐year time series of monthly average abundances for 198 phytoplankton taxa from Station L4 in the Western English Channel (1992–2014) to test whether and how aggregating phytoplankton into multi‐species assemblages can improve predictability of their temporal dynamics. Using a non‐parametric framework to assess predictability, we demonstrate that the prediction skill is significantly affected by how species data are grouped into assemblages, the presence of noise, and stochastic behavior within species. Overall, we find that predictability one month into the future increases when species are aggregated together into assemblages with more species, compared with the predictability of individual taxa. However, predictability within dinoflagellates and larger phytoplankton (>12 μm cell radius) is low overall and does not increase by aggregating similar species together. High variability in the data, due to observational error (noise) or stochasticity in population growth rates, reduces the predictability of individual species more than the predictability of assemblages. These findings show that there is greater potential for univariate prediction of species assemblages or whole‐community metrics, such as total chlorophyll or biomass, than for the individual dynamics of phytoplankton species.     

The seasonal and interannual dynamics of zooplankton in Lake Teletskoye

Long-term data on the specific composition, seasonal abundance, and biomass dynamics of Lake Teletskoye zooplankton are given. The list of rotiferans and lower crustaceans includes 117 taxa of specific and subspecific rank. The dominating complex includes 10 species and remains unchanged during the whole period of investigations. The seasonal dynamics of zooplankton abundance and biomass in this deep and highly lotic oligotrophic waterbody is characterized by one peak of development noted in the second half of the summer. The rapid increase of Conochilus unicornis (Rousselet) rotifer abundance in conditions of high water level and low temperature is noted in the interannual aspect.     

Nutrient control of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton dynamics

To determine whether positive correlations between phytoplankton and bacterioplankton growth in nutrient addition experiments are due to growth coupling or growth stimulation by the same nutrients, we examined phyto- and bacterioplankton growth in a series of eleven nutrient addition (N × P) and light/dark experiments. In mesotrophic Castle Lake, the phyto- and bacterioplankton growth responses to phosphorus (P) addition were strongly correlated (r²=0.59), while only a weak correlation (r²=0.10) was observed for the nitrogen addition treatments. After normalizing the N + P treatments for the growth stimulation observed in the respective P treatments, we found a substantial stimulation of the phytoplankton (e.g., costimulation by N + P) and no stimulation of the bacterioplankton. Bacteria growth rates were similar in both light and dark incubated P treatments. In these experiments, we found clear evidence suggesting the dynamics of bacteria and phytoplankton were correlated because they are often limited by the same resource (mainly inorganic phosphorus). We found only limited evidence that bacterioplankton growth coupling to algal dynamics was occurring in these experiments. However, we did not consider several factors such as dissolved organic nutrient availability, bacterivory, availability of physical substrates, and temperature which are also thought to influence the nature of bacterial/phytoplankton interactions. Based on the results of our experiments, we conclude the biomass of the bacterio- and phytoplankton covaried because they were stimulated by the same nutrients. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

High-frequency monitoring of phytoplankton dynamics within the European water framework directive: application to metalimnetic cyanobacteria

Large, sub-alpine, stratified lakes are directly within the scope of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and need adapted monitoring systems. Moreover, anthropogenic eutrophication was frequently the main cause of their water quality degradation in the 20th century. This paper is primarily aimed at demonstrating how in situ sensor-equipped buoys could be the base of monitoring designs to support the WFD objectives. The core of this paper, mainly methodological, focuses on single-depth, high frequency (4 per hour) fluorescence measurements. It shows that the internal wave pattern provides additional information to the single-depth time series to assess phytoplankton dynamics in a stratified water column displaying strong, vertical biomass heterogeneity. The paper deals with the following three aspects: (1) definition of an indicator to determine whether or not the sensor actually detects the metalimnetic fluorescence peak, (2) vertical representation of chlorophyll distribution from single-depth series; (3) time evolution of the fluorescence peak (maximum value, depth and associated temperature, peak width).     

Impact of phosphorus availability on modelling phytoplankton dynamics

Regulation of phosphorus loading is considered to be the primary method of eutrophication control for many lake systems. It is therefore necessary to have accurate estimates of the forms and bioavailability of all phosphorus sources in order to develop the most cost effective load control measures. Research at Clarkson University, aimed at improving the accuracy of estimates of the form and reactivity of phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie, has revealed a significant difference between the algal-availability of allochthonous and autochthonous particulate phosphorus. This paper presents the results of modifying an existing multi-nutrient phytoplankton model by separating allochthonous phosphorus into three forms: soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) — immediately available for algal uptake; external ultimately-available phosphorus—not immediately available but converted to an available form at a specific rate; an external refractory phosphorus (ERP)—not available while in the water column. Comparisons between the original and modified models showed that the modified phosphorus dynamics proved to be a viable alternative to the concept of invoking an unexplained soluble phosphorus water column loss term, employed in the original model. The work also demonstrates that the distinction is significant for lakes receiving a significant portion of their external phosphorus load in a particulate (not immediately available) form and having a morphometry and hydrology such that this particulate phosphorus remains in the water column for longer than about two weeks.     

Stochastic models for phytoplankton dynamics in Mediterranean Sea

In this paper, we review some results obtained from three one-dimensional stochastic models, which were used to analyze picophytoplankton dynamics in two sites of the Mediterranean Sea. Firstly, we present a stochastic advection–reaction–diffusion model to describe the vertical spatial distribution of picoeukaryotes in a site of the Sicily Channel. The second model, which is an extended version of the first one, is used to obtain the vertical stationary profiles of two groups of picophytoplankton, i.e. Pelagophytes and Prochlorococcus, in the same marine site as in the previous case. Here, we include intraspecific competition of picophytoplanktonic groups for limiting factors, i.e. light intensity and nutrient concentration. Finally, we analyze the spatio-temporal behaviour of five picophytoplankton populations in a site of the Tyrrhenian Sea by using a reaction–diffusion–taxis model. The study is performed, taking into account the seasonal changes of environmental variables, obtained starting from experimental findings. The multiplicative noise source, present in all three models, mimics the random fluctuations of temperature and velocity field. The vertical profiles of chlorophyll concentration obtained from the stochastic models show a good agreement with experimental data sampled in the two marine sites considered. The results could be useful to devise a new class of models based on a stochastic approach and able to predict future changes in biomass primary production.     

Large postural fluctuations but unchanged postural sway dynamics during tiptoe standing compared to quiet standing

The purpose of this study was to detect the characteristics of center of pressure (COP) movement during tiptoe standing (TS) compared to quiet standing (QS). Eight healthy subjects were asked to perform QS and TS on a force platform. During standing, surface electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from the soleus (SOL), flexor hallucis brevis (FHB), medial gastrocnemius (MG), lateral gastrocnemius (LG), and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. The path length and rectangular area of the COP trajectory were significantly larger during TS than during QS. In contrast, irrespective of standing condition, the scaling coefficients in the short and long regions were above and below 0.5, respectively. The coherence spectrum between the COP and EMG from the SOL and FHB muscles was statistically significant during TS at frequencies up to 17 Hz, while that for the QS was only significant below 1 Hz. In conclusion, the control of COP movement during TS was similar to that during QS despite large COP fluctuations during TS. Our results suggest that unstable posture during TS is compensated for by the activities of the SOL and FHB muscles, which enhance postural control.     

Storm impacts on phytoplankton community dynamics in lakes

In many regions across the globe, extreme weather events such as storms have increased in frequency, intensity, and duration due to climate change. Ecological theory predicts that such extreme events should have large impacts on ecosystem structure and function. High winds and precipitation associated with storms can affect lakes via short‐term runoff events from watersheds and physical mixing of the water column. In addition, lakes connected to rivers and streams will also experience flushing due to high flow rates. Although we have a well‐developed understanding of how wind and precipitation events can alter lake physical processes and some aspects of biogeochemical cycling, our mechanistic understanding of the emergent responses of phytoplankton communities is poor. Here we provide a comprehensive synthesis that identifies how storms interact with lake and watershed attributes and their antecedent conditions to generate changes in lake physical and chemical environments. Such changes can restructure phytoplankton communities and their dynamics, as well as result in altered ecological function (e.g., carbon, nutrient and energy cycling) in the short‐ and long‐term. We summarize the current understanding of storm‐induced phytoplankton dynamics, identify knowledge gaps with a systematic review of the literature, and suggest future research directions across a gradient of lake types and environmental conditions.     

Bacterial and phytoplankton dynamics in a sub-tropical estuary

Heterotrophic bacterial and phytoplankton biomass, production, specific growth rates and growth efficiencies were studied in July 2001 and January 2002 during both spring and neap tides, along a tidal cycle, at three sites in a subtropical estuary. Major freshwater inputs located in the Northern region led to differences in both phytoplankton and bacterioplankton biomass and activity along the estuary. While in the Northern region phytoplankton is light-limited, with mean phytoplankton production (PP) between 1.1 and 1.9 μg C l⁻¹ h⁻¹ and mean specific growth rates (PSG) between 0.14 and 0.16 d⁻¹, the Southern region registered values as high as 24.7 μg C l⁻¹ h⁻¹ for PP and 2.45 d⁻¹ (mean PP between 3.4 and 7.3 μg C l⁻¹ h⁻¹; mean PSG between 0.28 and 0.57 d⁻¹). On the other hand, maximum bacterial production (BP: 63.8 μg C l⁻¹ h⁻¹) and specific growth rate (BSG: 32.26 d⁻¹) were observed in the Northern region (mean BP between 3.4 and 12.8 μg C l⁻¹ h⁻¹; mean BSG between 1.98 and 6.67 day⁻¹). These bacterial activity rates are among the highest recorded rates in estuarine and coastal waters, indicating that this system can be highly heterotrophic, due to high loads of allochthonous carbon (mainly derived from mangrove forest). Our results also showed that, despite that BP rates usually exceeded PP, in the Southern region BP may be partially supported (∼45%) by PP, since a significant regression was observed between BP and PP (r = 0.455, P < 0.001). Handling editor: P. Viaroli     

The seasonal and interannual dynamics of centric diatoms in the Kuibyshev Reservoir

Samples of centric diatom algae from the plankton of the Kuibyshev Reservoir collected in years with different hydro-meteorological conditions (1989 and 1990) have been studied using light and scanning electron microscopy technique. Twenty-nine species, varieties, and forms of Centrophyceae, including two species new for the algoflora of the Volga River plankton, have been discovered. The main body of the dominant species is formed by algae with a high frequency of occurrence. The seasonal dynamics of abundance is characterized by spring peaks formed mainly by small-celled algae and less regular late fall maximums formed by large-celled forms. During these periods the abundance of Centrophyceae determines the level of phytoplankton development in general. Under stable species richness of algae and seasonal dynamics of their abundance, the average number of Centrophyceae during the hot and low-water year of 1989 reached 3.6 million cells/l; during the cold and high-water year of 1990, there were twice as few: 1.9 million cells/l.     

Annual and interannual variability in phytoplankton at a permanent station off Kerguelen Islands, Southern Ocean

From November 1992 to February 1995 a quantitative and qualitative phytoplankton study was conducted at a permanent station (Kerfix) southwest off the Kerguelen Islands, in the vicinity of the Polar Front (50°40′S–68°25′E). Phytoplankton populations are low in this area both during summers and winters. They consist, in order of decreasing cell abundance, of pico- and nanoflagellates (1.5–20 μm), coccolithophorids (<10 μm), diatoms (5–80 μm) and dinoflagellates (6–60 μm). Flagellates form the dominant group throughout the year and attain the highest summer average of 3.0 × 10⁵ cells l⁻¹. Next in abundance year-round are coccolithophorids with the dominant Emiliania huxleyi (highest summer 1992 average 1.9 × 10⁵ cells l⁻¹), diatoms (summer 1992 average 1.0 × 10⁵ cells l⁻¹) and dinoflagellates (average 3.8 × 10⁴ cells l⁻¹). Winter mean numbers of flagellates and picoplankton do not exceed 8.4 × 10⁴ cells l⁻¹; those of the three remaining algal groups together attain 2 × 10⁴ cells l⁻¹. Summer peaks of diatoms and dinoflagellates are mainly due to the larger size species (>20 μm). The latter group contributes most to the total cell carbon biomass throughout the year. Dominant diatoms during summer seasons include: Fragilariopsis kerguelensis, Thalassionema nitzschioides, Chaetoceros dichaeta, C. atlanticus, Pseudonitzschia heimii, and P. barkleyi/lineola. This diatom dominance structure changes from summer to summer with only F. kerguelensis and T. nitzschioides retaining their first and second positions. Any one of the co-dominant species might be absent during some summer period. The variable diatom community structure may be due to southward meandering of the Polar Front bringing “warmer” species from the north, and to the mixing of the water masses in this area. The entire community structure characterized both during summer and winters by the dominance of flagellates can be related to deep mixing (ca. 40–200 m) of the water column as the probable controlling factor. Received: 13 November 1997 / Accepted: 11 May 1998     

Carbohydrate dynamics and growth rate of natural phytoplankton populations

Diurnal changes in carbohydrate content of natural phytoplankton populations differed from those found for cyanobacteria grown in continuous cultures. The carbohydrate accumulation rate was not constant during the light period. Also in contrast to results obtained using continuous cultures the photosynthetic characteristics changed during the light period. A close correlation was observed between changes in carbohydrate accumulation rate and the efficiency of photosynthesis over 24 hours. Seasonal changes in carbohydrate consumption rate over the dark period were proportional to changes in growth rate.     

赤潮过程浮游植物与营养物质时间变化率研究

利用2000年大亚湾澳头海域赤潮定点连续调查资料及其多年现场调查资料,采用灰色回归模型,综合分析赤潮发生过程水体中浮游植物细胞密度与营养物质(NO3-、NH4+、PO4^3-、SiO3^2-、Fe)的时间变化率关系,分析了叶绿素a含量与浮游植物细胞密度相互关系．结果表明,预测值与实测基值本一致,复相关系数范围在0．51～0．83．当水体叶绿素浓度为5．8μg·dm-3,预示可能发生赤潮,通过采样分析水体叶绿素a含量或利用水色卫星遥感资料反演水体叶绿素浓度,计算浮游植物细胞密度,为赤潮的预测预报提供简便有效的方法．此外．本水域初级生产力由磷控制．     

Primary production of phytoplankton and standing crops of zooplankton and zoobenthos in hypertrophic Lake Teganuma

Primary production of phytoplankton and standing crops of zooplankton and zoobenthos were intensively surveyed in Lake Teganuma during May 1983–April 1984. The annual mean chlorophyll a concentrations were as high as 304 µg · l^–1–383 µg · l^–1. The daily gross primary production of phytoplankton was high throughout the year. The peak production rate was recorded in August and September, when blue-green algae bloomed. The annual gross primary production was estimated as 1450 g C · m^–2 · y^–1, extremely high as compared with other temperate eutrophic lakes. Zooplankton was predominantly composed of rotifers. The annual mean standing crop of zooplankton was 0.182 g C · m^–2 around the middle between the inlets and the outlet and was lower than in most other temperate eutrophic lakes. Zoobenthos was mostly composed of Oligochaeta and chironomids. The annual mean standing crop of zoobenthos ranged from 0.052 g C · m^–2 to 0.265 g C · m^–2, the lowest values among temperate eutrophic lakes, which is in contrast to the high primary production.     

大亚湾浮游植物群落特征

于2002年冬、春、夏和秋季对大亚湾浮游植物进行采样调查,分析了浮游植物的种类组成、丰度、优势种、多样性及群落结构的季节变化特征和平面分布特征。并讨论了浮游植物与营养盐、水温及环流等环境因子之间的关系。2002年大亚湾浮游植物共鉴定出48属114种(包括变型和变种),丰度范围在5.79×104~5.37×106cells/m3之间,平均值为1.14×106cells/m3。其中硅藻共37属84种,其种数和细胞丰度都占绝对优势,平均丰度为1.08×106cells/m3,其次为甲藻,9属23种,平均丰度为9.91×104cells/m3。此外还鉴定出蓝藻和金藻。大亚湾浮游植物丰度变化呈单一周期型,春夏季高,秋冬季节低。虽然硅藻的丰度占优势,但秋季硅藻丰度降低(占总丰度75.8%)使甲藻和蓝藻所占比例上升。研究得出春夏季大亚湾浮游植物主要以沿岸暖水性种类为主,秋季和冬季除沿岸暖水种之外,广布种和大洋种也较多,尤其在冬季后者占优势。大亚湾浮游植物优势种类多,不同季节既有交叉又有演替。与以往调查资料相比,部分优势种发生变化,优势程度顺序和细胞丰度发生了一定改变,个体较大的细胞丰度优势逐渐增加。另外,受季风、潮流、地理位置及人类活动影响,大亚湾浮游植物丰度和群落结构有一定的季节和平面分布特征。大亚湾浮游植物的多样性在夏季偏低,尤其在大亚湾核电站和大鹏澳养殖区附近表现明显。大亚湾浮游植物的丰度、种数、优势种演替及群落结构等其它群落特征与营养盐尤其是氮、磷和N/P、水温、环流等环境因子密切相关。     

Model simulation of heat and water transport dynamics in an airway

Heat and water transport processes in the respiratory tract depend on environmental conditions, breathing patterns, and the physiological state of the respiratory system. To study these processes, we have developed a mathematical model of the dynamics of temperature and water vapor in the radial and axial directions of an idealized trachea. The model is expressed as two implicit finite-difference equations and solved using an alternating-direction algorithm. Using these equations, we simulated the effects of inspired gas temperature and humidity, velocity profile, and flow rate on heat and water transport between the gas and airway wall. Under inspired gas conditions of low temperature or high relative humidity, supersaturation occurs. Increasing either the velocity gradient at the wall or the flow rate increases the heat and water transport rates. However, these rates change by only 10 percent when the velocity gradient is doubled, and by about 35 percent when flow rate undergoes a two-fold change. The model can be used with in-vivo data from the trachea to test hypotheses concerning normal and abnormal heat and water transport.