Lake metabolism scales with lake morphometry and catchment conditions

We used a comparative data set for 25 lakes in Denmark sampled during summer to explore the influence of lake morphometry, catchment conditions, light availability and nutrient input on lake metabolism. We found that (1) gross primary production (GPP) and community respiration (R) decline with lake area, water depth and drainage ratio, and increase with algal biomass (Chl), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total phosphorus (TP); (2) all lakes, especially small with less incident light, and forest lakes with high DOC, have negative net ecosystem production (NEP < 0); (3) daily variability of GPP decreases with lake area and water depth as a consequence of lower input of nutrients and organic matter per unit water volume; (4) the influence of benthic processes on free water metabolic measures declines with increasing lake size; and (5) with increasing lake size, lake metabolism decreases significantly per unit water volume, while depth integrated areal rates remain more constant due to a combination of increased light and nutrient limitation. Overall, these meta-parameters have as many significant but usually weaker relationships to whole-lake and benthic metabolism as have TP, Chl and DOC that are directly linked to photosynthesis and respiration. Combining water depth and Chl to predict GPP, and water depth and DOC to predict R, lead to stronger multiple regression models accounting for 57–63% of the variability of metabolism among the 25 lakes. It is therefore important to consider differences in lake morphometry and catchment conditions when comparing metabolic responses of lakes to human impacts.     

富营养化湖泊蓝藻-芦苇碎屑堆积分解过程及其潜在的共代谢效应

为探究富营养化浅水湖泊所富集的有机物对湖泊碳循环和水质的影响,本研究构建微宇宙系统,模拟蓝藻和芦苇碎屑单独分解及混合分解过程.通过测定各组上覆水营养盐浓度、有机质含量及结构的变化,揭示富营养化湖泊藻草残体混合分解过程中养分和有机碳的释放特征.结果表明,在实验0～88 h内,在添加相同的碳源条件下,蓝藻和芦苇混合处理组总碳(TC)释放量显著高于理论值,表明藻草碎屑混合分解存在共代谢效应.在培养初期,沉积物通过共代谢效应对水质产生了较大的影响,加速向水体中释放氮、磷物质.相较单独的植物分解,混合处理组中总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)的最大释放量分别提高了13.49%和26.84%;通过三维荧光光谱表征的类富里酸荧光强度变化也表明:较芦苇处理组,混合处理组中芦苇的分解速率更快.在培养开始后,各处理组均快速转变为厌氧状态,TC、TN、TP浓度随时间变化总体上呈先快速上升再逐渐平缓的趋势,分别在第228、108和324小时达最大值(372.4±2.98)、(138.45±2.97)和(7.95±1.11) mg/L.细菌特异性脂肪酸含量变化表明,将蓝藻碎屑添加到芦苇碎屑中,会增加芦苇碎屑中细菌的丰度,从而提高分解速率,激发共代谢效应.在全球气候变暖的背景下,随着富营养化湖泊藻类暴发频次增加,共代谢效应可能还会进一步加强,对富营养化湖泊水质将会持续产生影响.     

Organic matter governs N and P balance in Danube Delta lakes

The transformation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and soluble reactive phosphorous (SRP), and the release of dissolved organic and particulate N and P, were analyzed in two lake complexes (Uzlina–Isac and Puiu–Rosu–Rosulet) of the Danube Delta wetland during flood conditions in May and at low water level in September 2006. The Uzlina–Isac complex was hydrologically tightly-connected with the Danube River and was flushed with river-borne nutrients and organic matter. These lakes acted as effective transformers for nutrients and produced large amounts of fresh biomass, that promoted the excretion of dissolved organic N and P during active growth. Biomass breakdown created particulate matter (<0.45 μm), which was widely liberated during low flow in the fall. The Puiu–Rosu–Rosulet complex was characterized by a more distant position to the Danube and proximity to the Black Sea, and received dominantly transformed organic compounds from the flow-through water and vast vegetation cover. Due to reduced nutrient input, the internal production of organic biomass also was reduced in these more remote lakes. Total N and P export from the lake nearest to the shelf was governed by dominantly dissolved organic and particulate compounds (mean 58 and 82%, respectively). Overall, this survey found that these highly productive wetlands efficiently transform nutrients into a large pool of dissolved organic and particulate N and P. Hence, wetland lakes may behave widely as net sources of organic N and P to downstream waters and coastal marine systems.     

不同来源有色溶解性有机物光化学/微生物降解过程

城市非点源污染向水生生态系统中输入大量的溶解有机物(DOM),对生态系统健康产生重要影响. 有色可溶性有机物(CDOM)是广泛分布于自然水体中的一类成分和结构复杂、含有多种高活性化学官能团的大分子聚合物,是DOM的重要组分,对水生生态系统健康、能量流动及生物地球化学循环有重要影响. 光化学反应和微生物代谢过程被认为是控制水体CDOM转化、降解和循环的主要影响因素. 然而,对城市化如何影响CDOM组成以及光化学和微生物如何相互作用影响城市水体CDOM动态的理解是不足的. 因此,为评估光化学过程和微生物代谢对不同城市水体CDOM降解与转化的贡献,解析不同城市水体CDOM光化学/微生物降解作用机理,本研究在英国伯明翰选择3类具有典型DOM来源的水体样本,通过实验室9 d受控培养实验,对比分析光化学以及微生物影响下CDOM来源和组成的变化. 结果表明：(1)城市河流由于接受上游污水排放及较短的水力滞留时间,含有丰富的芳香性碳,其CDOM光化学活性明显高于湖泊,光化学降解率为16.60%;(2)城市湖泊CDOM受人类活动影响,自生源类荧光成分富集,生物活性高,在微生物培养过程中CDOM增加了62.16%,而相较于城市湖泊,非城市湖泊由于接受周围景观土壤输入的大量腐殖质类CDOM,光照对其降解转化作用较为明显; (3)光化学过程促进了陆源CDOM中大分子类腐殖质物质降解成为生物活性高的小分子化合物,刺激微生物代谢生成类蛋白质类有机物; 以类蛋白质组分为主导的CDOM在光照过程中被转化为难降解状态,生物活性降低,CDOM微生物代谢过程被抑制. 研究成果为城市水体不同CDOM来源及活性差异特征研究提供了新的思路,有助于城市河流的可持续开放与管理.     

AMS radiocarbon dating of pollen concentrates in a karstic lake system

In lake sediments where terrestrial macrofossils are rare or absent, AMS radiocarbon dating of pollen concentrates may represent an important alternative solution for developing a robust and high resolution chronology suitable for Bayesian modelling of age-depth relationships. Here we report an application of the heavy liquid density separation approach (Vandergoes and Prior, Radiocarbon 45:479–492, 2003) to Holocene lake sediments from karstic Lake Sidi Ali, Morocco. In common with many karstic lakes, a significant lake ¹⁴C reservoir effect of 450–900 yr is apparent, evidenced by paired dates on terrestrial macrofossils and either aquatic (ostracod) or bulk sediment samples. AMS dating of 23 pollen concentrates alongside laboratory standards (bituminous coal, anthracite, IAEA C5 wood) was undertaken. Concentrates were prepared using a series of sodium polytungstate (SPT) solutions of progressively decreasing density (1.9–1.15 g/cm³) accompanied by microscopic analysis of the resulting residues to allow quantification of the terrestrial pollen content. The best fractions (typically precipitating at 1.4–1.2 g/cm³) yielded dateable samples of 0.5–5 mg (from sediment samples of ∼15 g), with C content typically ∼50% by weight. Terrestrial pollen purity ranges from 29% to 88% (μ = 67%), reflecting the challenge of isolating pollen grains from common aquatic algae, e.g. Pediastrum and Botryococcus. A Poisson-process Bayesian depositional model incorporating radiocarbon (pollen and macrofossil) and ²¹⁰Pb/¹³⁷Cs data is employed. As all pollen samples incorporate some non-terrestrial organic matter, we assume an exponential outlier distribution treating each pollen concentrate datum as an old outlier and terminus post quem. This approach yields strong data-model agreement, and differences between the prior and posterior age distributions are furthermore consistent with theoretical offsets anticipated for the known reservoir ages and sample-specific terrestrial content. This application of the pollen concentrate dating approach reinforces the importance of microscopic inspection of the residues during the separation and sieving stages. Sample specific differences mean that the pollen concentrate preparation cannot be reduced to a simplistic “black box” protocol, and dating and subsequent age-model development must be supported by detailed analysis of the microfossil content of the sediments.     

Chlorophyll fluorescence responses to additions of Pinus rigida L. pollen in freshwater kettle ponds of Cape Cod National Seashore (Massachusetts,USA)

Terrestrial ecosystems contribute many different forms of organic matter to adjacent waterbodies. Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in this material can significantly influence the planktonic communities of these systems, especially where there is a large proportion of contributing area relative to waterbody size and where nutrients are generally in short supply. Plant pollen, which upon degradation releases nutrients into the water column, is one such source of allochthonous material. In Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA), large amounts of pollen from dense pitch pine (Pinus rigida L.) forest are deposited in late spring into small, freshwater lakes scattered across the landscape. This study examines in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence responses of surface-water samples collected from three such lakes within Cape Cod National Seashore (Wellfleet and Truro) to additions of P. rigida pollen in a laboratory setting. The results indicate that where influxes are high enough, pollen can have a stimulatory effect on phytoplankton communities and is a short-term nutrient subsidy in these systems at a time of year (May-June) when warming temperatures and faster growth rates elevate the demand for nutrients.     

富营养化湖泊沉积物有机质矿化过程中碳、氮、磷的迁移特征

采用室内培养的方法,以富营养化湖泊太湖为例,研究了沉积物有机质矿化过程中碳、氮、磷的迁移特征.结果表明,在沉积物中的有机质矿化过程中,碳以溶解性无机碳释放至水中,同时以CH4和CO2形式释放至大气中,培养结束时,CH4和CO2累积排放含量分别为1492.21和498.96 mg/g(dw),其中CH4占气态碳的89.16%(以C质量计);此外,大量的氮、磷营养盐释放至上覆水体,水中总氮、总磷和铵态氮的最高浓度分别是初始浓度的62.16、28.16和139.45倍,而硝态氮浓度在整个培养过程中逐渐下降,培养末期浓度是初期的0.21倍;厌氧条件下,沉积物有机质的矿化,不仅可以生成大量的CH4、CO2气体,还能够促使沉积物中铵态氮和磷的释放;而沉积物有机质矿化释放的碳、氮、磷营养元素又能加剧湖泊富营养化程度,促进湖泊水体的初级生产力,从而增加湖泊沉积物有机质输入.这样的循环方式可能是湖泊富营养化自维持的重要机制之一.     

Environmental characteristics of Mid-Holocene recorded by lacustrine sediments from Lake Daihai, north environment sensitive zone, China

One of the goals for paleaoenvironmental research is to predict the tendency of future climate and environmental changes based on the understanding of the past. The key approach is to find similar pictures which happened in the past. By understanding the background and mechanism of the paleaoenvironmen- tal changes, reliable parameters and verifications can be provided for the numerical model to predict the tendency of future climate and environmental changes. The Mid-Holocene as the nearest …     

亚热带地区典型水库流域氮、磷湿沉降及入湖贡献率估算

为了探究汤浦水库流域氮、磷湿沉降对水库水体营养的贡献率,本研究对2014 2015年的汤浦水库流域4个采样点的雨水及3条溪流进行样品收集,测定其中磷和不同形态氮的质量浓度,分析汤浦水库流域大气湿沉降中氮、磷营养盐的分布特征,并估算氮、磷营养盐湿沉降对汤浦水库入库负荷的贡献率.结果表明:湿沉降中总氮(TN)平均浓度为1.02±0.58 mg/L,氨氮、硝态氮和有机氮浓度占TN浓度的比例分别为60.65%、34.07%和5.28%;总磷(TP)平均浓度为0.033±0.028 mg/L.4个采样点湿沉降中氮、磷浓度均表现为冬春季(少雨季)高、夏秋季(多雨季)低.空间上,王化点位的各形态氮和总磷浓度显著高于其他3个采样点.TN和TP年均湿沉降通量约为18.15和0.62 kg/(hm~2·a),年均沉降总量为834.94和28.39 t;库区TN和TP水面湿沉降量为24.14和0.82 t,直接贡献率占河流输入的1.77%和3.07%.湿沉降来源的氮、磷营养盐随河流输入的间接贡献率为8.3%和4.6%.综上所述,氮、磷湿沉降是水库外源营养的重要输入部分,深入掌握其时空分布特征及入库贡献率是进一步加强流域管理和减轻水库外源营养输入的重要前提.     

Differences in zooplankton feeding rates and isotopic signatures from three temperate lakes

Bacteria and phytoplankton are integral in the mobilization and transfer of organic matter to higher trophic levels. Hence, we examined their role in zooplankton diets and assessed trends in their nitrogen isotopic variability. We performed feeding experiments with natural particulate organic matter (POM) and four zooplankton groups (Daphnia, Holopedium, large calanoids and small calanoids) to (1) examine whether there are differences in consumption (presented as clearance and ingestion rates) of phytoplankton and bacteria, and (2) determine whether differences in zooplankton clearance and ingestion rates are correlated with their δ¹⁵N isotopic signatures. In general, phytoplankton and bacteria clearance rates and biomass ingested per animal varied significantly among different zooplankton groups within lakes and between lakes for a given zooplankton group. Within a given lake, Daphnia and Holopedium had the highest phytoplankton and bacteria clearance and ingestion rates, followed by large calanoids, and then small calanoids. For a given zooplankton group, bacteria and phytoplankton clearance rates varied among lakes. In contrast, phytoplankton ingestion rates were consistently highest in Dickie Lake for all taxa, whereas bacteria ingestion rates were more variable among lakes for the different zooplankton taxa. The percentage contribution of different phytoplankton taxa to the biomass of phytoplankton ingested also varied significantly among lakes for a given taxa, but there were few differences within a given lake among zooplankton. Zooplankton δ¹⁵N_DOMC values were correlated with their size adjusted phytoplankton and bacteria clearance and ingestion rates. The correlations were stronger with (1) phytoplankton compared to bacteria, and (2) clearance rates compared to ingestion rates of biomass. Together our results suggest that zooplankton taxa with low phytoplankton and bacteria clearance and ingestion rates and higher δ¹⁵N_DOMC are likely exploiting food sources from higher trophic levels.     

Different morphology of Nuphar lutea in two contrasting aquatic environments and its effect on ecosystem engineering

Aquatic plants (macrophytes) can have a large effect on river hydraulics and geomorphology. Though, the extent to how plant morphological plasticity actively influences these feedbacks has received little scientific attention. The nymphaeid macrophyte species Nuphar lutea (L.) Smith is characterized by a distinct leaf duality. Floating leaves shade most of the submerged leaves thereby limiting light penetration in the water. Despite their apparent negligible photosynthetic role, submerged leaves of N. lutea remain intact during summer and contribute a significant part to the total biomass. Our results indicate that the submerged leaves are crucial in plant–flow interactions and hence in the engineering potential of the plant, i.e. the capacity to locally reduce flow velocities and to promote sedimentation, including organic matter deposition. Plant individuals growing in running river water were compared to individuals from adjacent oxbow lake water. The number and size of submerged leaves were significantly higher for river standing individuals and the accumulated sediment contained significantly more organic matter, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, and was characterized by a lower carbon/nitrogen ratio and a finer grain size. We therefore argue that the submerged N. lutea canopy in rivers has the ability to create a high‐nutrient, low hydrodynamic environment, resembling the conditions found in oxbow lakes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of turbidity caused by nutrient loading on benthic dynamics

The benthic response to nutrient loading of the water column was determined in the transition from early to mid-summer in a semi-enclosed, shallow estuarine ecosystem of the Baltic Sea. The procedure involved the inoculation of an in situ mesocosm with nitrogen and phosphorus to induce hypertrophic conditions, and comparison of this treated compartment with an untreated control. Sediment activity was assessed as oxygen turn-over, and measured in the laboratory with a simulated in situ polarographic flow-through method. Nutrient addition induced the development of pelagic organisms, particularly phytoplankton and protozoa, which resulted in turbidity within the water column. The latter appeared to depress benthic primary productivity. On the other hand, the greater organic matter load, upon sedimenting, caused increased biological respiration of the sediment. Chemical oxygen demand was unaffected by the increased organic matter input.     

两种氮浓度对轮叶黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata)腐解过程营养盐释放及附着生物膜内氮循环基因丰度的影响

氨氮是地表水常见污染物,尤其在农业区域,氮类化肥的不合理施用会导致周边水体氮浓度迅速升高并保持较高水平.然而,当前对高氮水平下沉水植物腐败和附着氮循环微生物的影响尚不清楚.以轮叶黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata)为研究用沉水植物,在实验室内模拟水体内8和16 mg/L氮浓度下轮叶黑藻腐解过程中营养盐释放及残体表面微生物氮循环功能基因丰度的变化.研究发现水体两种氮浓度下轮叶黑藻腐解过程中残体腐解及营养盐释放速率无显著差异;与对照相比,植物腐败初期水体内碳、磷浓度迅速增加,而溶解氧浓度及氧化还原电位迅速降低,随着时间的推移上述水质指标逐步恢复至初期状态(第146天);水体荧光溶解性有机质主要包括紫外类富里酸、可见类富里酸、色氨酸类蛋白质和酪氨酸类蛋白质等类型.在5个氮循环相关基因中,氮负荷增加对轮叶黑藻残体生物膜内amo A、napA和narG的丰度有显著影响.冗余分析表明氮循环基因丰度受水体总氮浓度的影响较小,与植物总有机碳含量和水体化学需氧量及溶解氧浓度存在相关性.研究结果表明虽然当前氮水平对植物腐败过程影响不大、对氮循环基因丰度有一定影响,但是对该水生植被(尤其是植物腐败初期)和农业退水排放的管理仍需加强,以降低其对水体的影响.     

Studying the response of Lake Ladoga ecosystem to a decrease in phosphorus load

A study of the transformation of Lake Ladoga ecosystem in 1996–2005 shows that a decrease in the phosphorus load after 1995 has not cause a decrease in lake ecosystem productivity. Mathematical modeling provided an explanation of the observed phenomenon, thus justifying limnologists’ hypothesis that phosphorus turnover within a water body accelerates with increasing abundance of bacterioplankton and aquatic fungi. Computational experiments have shown that the additional amount of phosphorus that is required for maintaining phytoplankton productivity is additionally released by destructors (bacterioplankton and aquatic fungi) from detritus and organic matter dissolved in water.     

Modelling indicators of water security,water pollution and aquatic biodiversity in Europe

Abstract

The GWAVA (Global Water AVailability Assessment) model for indicating human water security has been extended with a newly developed module for calculating pollutant concentrations. This module is first described and then illustrated by being used to model nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter concentrations. The module uses solely input variables that are likely to be available for future scenarios, making it possible to apply the module to such scenarios. The module first calculates pollutant loading from land to rivers, lakes and wetlands by considering drivers such as agriculture, industry and sewage treatment. Calculated loadings are subsequently converted to concentrations by considering aquatic processes, such as dilution, downstream transport, evaporation, human water abstraction and biophysical loss processes. Aquatic biodiversity is indicated to be at risk if modelled pollutant concentrations exceed certain water quality standards. This is indicated to be the case in about 35% of the European area, especially where lakes and wetlands are abundant. Human water security is indicated to be at risk where human water demands cannot be fulfilled during drought events. This is found to be the case in about 10% of the European area, especially in Mediterranean, arid and densely-populated areas. Modelled spatial variation in concentrations matches well with existing knowledge, and the temporal variability of concentrations is modelled reasonably well in some river basins. Therefore, we conclude that the updated GWAVA model can be used for indicating changes in human water security and aquatic biodiversity across Europe.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Dumont, E., Williams, R., Keller, V., Voss, A., and Tattari, S., 2012. Modelling indicators of water security, water pollution and aquatic biodiversity in Europe. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (7), 1378–1403.