THE LAKE ST. LUCIA SYSTEM—A RESEARCH ASSESSMENT

SUMMARY

This paper assesses the research undertaken at Lake St. Lucia over the past 25 years based on over 300 documents from that period. Trends related to both time and subject matter are evident, and these are considered in relation to the gaps in our current knowledge concerning the system.

A feature evident throughout the period under consideration is that the major portion of documented material available relates to reports and contributions to workshops (77%) with only 23% from scientific publications. Contributions by these two sources to the subject group being considered for St. Lucia are markedly different with research publications dominating the biological field and reports dominating in physical aspects, catchment characteristics, man's activities, management, dredging and hydrological modelling. However, some 55% of all unpublished data related to reviews or assessments of the state of research on St. Lucia.

The importance of the scientific publications group as an indicator of the state of research into the system is considered in the light of an apparent decline in the number of completed projects being published. It is also considered in the light of the recent establishment of a co-ordinated Lake St. Lucia Research Programme, which may provide the impetus for a more concentrated and directed research effort on the Lake System.     

Phenotypic divergence but not genetic distance predicts assortative mating among species of a cichlid fish radiation

The hypothesis of ecological divergence giving rise to premating isolation in the face of gene flow is controversial. However, this may be an important mechanism to explain the rapid multiplication of species during adaptive radiation following the colonization of a new environment when geographical barriers to gene flow are largely absent but underutilized niche space is abundant. Using cichlid fish, we tested the prediction of ecological speciation that the strength of premating isolation among species is predicted by phenotypic rather than genetic distance. We conducted mate choice experiments between three closely related, sympatric species of a recent radiation in Lake Mweru (Zambia/DRC) that differ in habitat use and phenotype, and a distantly related population from Lake Bangweulu that resembles one of the species in Lake Mweru. We found significant assortative mating among all closely related, sympatric species that differed phenotypically, but none between the distantly related allopatric populations of more similar phenotype. Phenotypic distance between species was a good predictor of the strength of premating isolation, suggesting that assortative mating can evolve rapidly in association with ecological divergence during adaptive radiation. Our data also reveals that distantly related allopatric populations that have not diverged phenotypically, may hybridize when coming into secondary contact, e.g. upon river capture because of diversion of drainage systems.     

越冬和复苏时期太湖水体蓝藻群落结构的时空变化

为研究太湖蓝藻在越冬与复苏时期群落结构的时空变化规律,于2008年11月,2009年2月,2009年4月,在太湖富营养化较严重的湖区选取8个采样点 (梅梁湾、竺山湾、贡湖湾、大浦、西太湖、南太湖、湖心和湖湾交汇处),分3层采水样,过滤并提取样品DNA经PCR扩增蓝藻16S rDNA序列,采用T-RFLP(末端标记的限制性酶切片段长度多样性)技术分析蓝藻群落结构和多样性变化。共得到87个不同的T-RFs(末端限制性酶切片段),表明太湖蓝藻具有丰富的基因多样性。T-RF相对丰度和聚类分析结果表明,太湖蓝藻群落结构在垂直空间上相似性较高,相似度 > 50%;在水平空间,与Microcystis spp.对应的信号峰在8个采样点均为最强峰(相对丰度为17.7% 47.5%)。竺山湾蓝藻多样性最低,西太湖最高,但其余采样点间蓝藻群落和Shannon多样性指数没有显著差异(P>0.05)。Microcystis相对丰度与Shannon多样性指数呈显著负相关(皮尔逊相关系数为-0.958)。在时间尺度上,相似性分析(Analysis of similarity,ANOSIM)结果显示太湖蓝藻群落结构存在极显著差异( P<0.01) 。春季复苏时蓝藻多样性最高,秋季衰亡时最低。聚类分析表明样品聚成两大特征类群,秋季衰亡时样品独自聚为1支,而春季复苏期和冬季越冬期样品彼此混杂。     

Modelling the population dynamics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Daphnia obtusa</Emphasis> (Kurz) in Lake Orta (N. Italy) under pre- and post-liming conditions

A mathematical matrix model was formulated to investigate the response of Daphnia obtusa population dynamics to the changes in the water chemistry of Lake Orta before and after the liming operation. Model parameters were estimated from experimental laboratory data. Model analysis showed that water chemistry changes induced by liming affected mainly egg survival and predicted the highest population growth at pH␣6. Whereas increased egg mortality heavily inhibits population growth rate, the model still predicts a long term tendency of the population to increase in number. However, both before and after the liming operation due to high food availability in the laboratory, egg production was higher under all experimental conditions than in the field. When food limitation is accounted for and more realistic, field based estimates of egg production are used, the model predicts the extinction of D. obtusa population in the lake. This suggests that the effects of water chemistry changes on egg mortality had a critical role in the disappearance of D. obtusa from Lake Orta and may even adequately explain the extinction of this population.     

吉林省莫莫格泡1500年来的孢粉组合与古环境

通过对莫莫格泡人工剖面14个样品的孢粉分析笔者划分了3个孢粉带：孢粉贫乏带、蒿-藜麻黄孢粉带和蒿-藜孢粉丰富带,根据孢粉组合,HC测年和沉积相的综合分析认为莫莫格泡是1500aB．P．由古河道洼地为砂丘所堵塞形成的,它经历了河湖转换期、湖泊发育早期和湖泊稳定期,其周围植被由菊科-蒿藜草甸草原逐渐过渡为蒿藜为主的疏林草甸草原和草甸草原,古气候由冷干、温凉偏干向温凉转化,近50年来有暖干化趋势。     

Phylogenetic analysis of Cyprichromini (Perciformes: Cichlidae) endemic to Lake Tanganyika and validation of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paracyprichromis</Emphasis>

The phylogenetic relationships among two Paracyprichromis and five Cyprichromis species, included in the Tanganyikan cichlid tribe Cyprichromini, were investigated using morphological features. The previously proposed diagnostic characters of Paracyprichromis are not synapomorphies, because the nonelongated swim bladder is plesiomorphic, the numbers of dorsal and anal fin rays and scales on longitudinal line and around the caudal peduncle overlap with those of Cyprichromis, and these counts and number of vertebrae are all included within the ranges of other Tanganyikan cichlids. The monophyly of Paracyprichromis is supported by a unique condition of infraorbitals to this genus. Additionally, the monophyly of Cyprichromis was reconfirmed by one of the previously proposed diagnostic characters, the presence of an elongated swim bladder.     

龙感湖沉积物泥芯硅藻群落和营养状态的反演

The importance of aquatic vegetation to the ecologi-cal restoration has been recognized commonly bylimnolo-gists and lake managements[1—4].As to the ecologicalrestoration in eutrophicated lakes,it is of great signifi-cance to knowthe dynamic process of the ecosystemevo-lution in a macrophyte-dominated lake under the humanimpacts in historical period,to make it clear whether thecommunitystructure and ecological function would be af-fected bythe extension of the vegetation growth,tofind asolutionto remain ste...     

COMMUNITY ANALYSIS OF AGGREGATED BACTERIA IN SOUTHERN LAKE BAIKAL

Bacteria in lake ecosystems can be classified asfree-living and attached.Aggregated bacteria are oftenlarger,present in higher local concentrations and aremore active on a per-cell basis than free-living bacteriain surrounding water[1].Higher specific exoenzyme ac-tivities have also been found with macroaggregates[2].Thus they may have an important role in carbon cyclingin aquatic ecosystems.Recently,new molecular techniques such as fluo-rescent in situ hybridization(FISH)with group-specific…     

Disappearance of deep profundal zoobenthos in Lake Ikeda, southern Kyushu, Japan, with relation to recent environmental changes in the lake

A benthological survey in a deep caldera, Lake Ikeda, southern Kyushu, Japan, in 1998 revealed that no zoobenthos were found in the deep profundal, although two tubificid oligochaetes, Tubifex tubifex and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, and a chironomid, Procladius sp., were distributed in the upper profundal zone. This is the first record of oligochaete composition in the lake. Lake Ikeda had been typically oligotrophic until the 1940s, and zoobenthic assemblages were recorded throughout the profundal bottom in the 1920s and 1970s. Recent disappearance of the deep profundal zoobenthos could be caused by the stagnation of anoxic waters in the hypolimnion, in connection with eutrophication triggered by nutrient loading, as well as change in the thermal circulation system presumably caused by global warming.     

Daphnia community analysis in shallow Kenyan lakes and ponds using dormant eggs in surface sediments

1. Water fleas of the genus Daphnia are considered rare in tropical regions, and information on species distribution and community ecology is scarce and anecdotal. This study presents the results of a survey of Daphnia species distribution and community composition in 40 standing waterbodies in southern Kenya. The study sites cover a wide range of tropical standing aquatic habitats, from small ephemeral pools to large permanent lakes between approximately 700 and 2800 m a.s.l. Our analysis combines data on Daphnia distribution and abundance from zooplankton samples and dormant eggs in surface sediments. 2. Nearly 70% (27 of 40) of the sampled waterbodies were inhabited by Daphnia. Although their abundance in the active community was often very low, this high incidence shows that Daphnia can be equally widespread in tropical regions as in temperate regions. 3. Analysis of local species assemblages from dormant eggs in surface sediments was more productive than snapshot sampling of zooplankton communities. Surface‐sediment samples yielded eight Daphnia species in total, and allowed the detection of Daphnia in 25 waterbodies; zooplankton samples revealed the presence of only four Daphnia species in 16 waterbodies. 4. Daphnia barbata, D. laevis, and D. pulex were the most frequently recorded and most abundant Daphnia species. Canonical correspondence analysis of species–environment relationships indicates that variation in the Daphnia community composition of Kenyan waters was best explained by fish presence, temperature, macrophyte cover and altitude. Daphnia barbata and D. pulex tended to co‐occur with each other and with fish. Both species tended to occur in relatively large (>10 ha) and deeper (>2 m) alkaline waters (pH 8.5). Daphnia laevis mainly occurred in cool and clear, macrophyte‐dominated lakes at high altitudes.