Restoration of submerged vegetation in shallow eutrophic lakes – A guideline and state of the art in Germany

One of the most serious problems caused by eutrophication of shallow lakes is the disappearance of submerged macrophytes and the switch to a turbid, phytoplankton-dominated state. The reduction of external nutrient loads often does not result in a change back to the macrophyte-dominated state because stabilising mechanisms that cause resilience may delay a response. Additional internal lake restoration measures may therefore be needed to decrease the concentration of total phosphorus and increase water clarity. The re-establishment of submerged macrophytes required for a long-term stability of clear water conditions, however, may still fail, or mass developments of tall-growing species may cause nuisance for recreational use. Both cases are often not taken into account when restoration measures are planned in Germany, and existing schemes to reduce eutrophication consider the topic inadequately. Here we develop a step-by-step guideline to assess the chances of submerged macrophyte re-establishment in shallow lakes. We reviewed and rated the existing literature and case studies with special regard on (1) the impact of different internal lake restoration methods on the development of submerged macrophytes, (2) methods for the assessment of natural re-establishment, (3) requirements and methods for artificial support of submerged macrophyte development and (4) management options of macrophyte species diversity and abundance in Germany. This guideline is intended to help lake managers aiming to restore shallow lakes in Germany to critically asses and predict the potential development of submerged vegetation, taking into account the complex factors and interrelations that determine their occurrence, abundance and diversity.     

水草腐烂引发的黑臭水体应急处置技术研究

水草腐烂加速水体耗氧和水体还原性物质的溶出进程,在夏、秋季高温条件下极易引发局部水体黑臭.以太湖沉水植物优势种马来眼子菜(Potamogeton malaianus)、苦草(Vallisneria natans)及浮叶植物优势种莕菜(Nymphoides peltatum)为受试材料,利用太湖原位底泥培养模拟水草腐烂形成的黑臭水体,考察不同的环境材料处置方式(壳聚糖(CTS)、聚合氯化铝(PAC)、聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)、CTS+PAC和PAC+PAM)对黑臭水体浊度、溶解氧浓度、挥发性硫化物等黑臭水体特征污染物的絮凝沉降规律及去除机理.结果表明:(1)絮凝处理24 h后,CTS+PAC组合对黑臭水体的浊度去除效果最佳,浊度去除率达70.3%,上覆水溶解氧浓度明显提高,增加率为261.5%;(2)加石英砂悬浊液加速絮体沉淀,形成絮体之后加石英砂使水体浊度稳步下降,4 h之后,浊度去除率达74.9%,显著高于与絮凝剂一起加入的处理组(29.8%);(3)植物腐烂释放的含硫特征嗅味物质主要为硫化氢(H_2S)、甲硫醚和二甲基三硫醚.不同植物体腐烂释放的含硫挥发性有机物浓度差异显著,马来眼子菜释放的4种含硫有机物总和分别为莕菜和苦草释放的319.8%和252.2%;(4)CTS+PAC处理后苦草及马来眼子菜腐烂水体中挥发性有机硫化物浓度较对照组分别降低了18.6%和44.5%.PAC+PAM组合絮凝处理组对莕菜腐烂水体中H2S有较好的去除效果,去除率达到52.4%.CTS+PAC絮凝剂组合处理的H2S浓度均低于对照组,苦草、马来眼子菜和莕菜腐烂后黑臭水体中H2S浓度分别降低了27.4%、41.0%和28.6%.CTS+PAC组合对H2S和二甲基硫醚类物质等致臭物释放的抑制效果优于PAC+PAM组合絮凝处理.     

Evaluating practical macrophyte control tools on small agricultural waterways in Canterbury,New Zealand

Excessive macrophytes can cause significant problems in agricultural waterways requiring active management. Conventional control techniques can have a range of adverse effects. We investigated several control tools in two experiments: firstly, we tested eight treatments at a small-scale (2?m?×?2?m). We found intensive hand weeding, weed mat and herbicide spraying to be effective treatments, reducing macrophyte cover to <5%. Hand weeding and weed mat immediately reduced cover, while dieback from herbicide took two months. Weed mat was a novel and effective control mechanism along stream banks. Secondly, we tested the impact of shading on macrophyte growth. Macrophyte growth was enhanced under partially shaded conditions, but with 80% effective shading over the entire channel, cover was reduced to 17%. Once treatments ceased, macrophytes grew back within 3–5 months. Long-term, control methods will require combinations of tools but will need to include optimal shading for the target species.     

A novel device with macrophytes and bio balls as a rehabilitation tool for small eutrophic urban ponds: a mesocosm approximation

During the last century, the human-derived impact on freshwater systems has been severe all around the world. Artificial eutrophication has an outstanding relevance in urban aquatic ecosystems and it is recognized as one of the most common problems associated with water deterioration in urban lakes and ponds. Therefore, more studies regarding the trophic interactions and the potential rehabilitation methods should be encouraged. Our aim is to evaluate at a mesocosm scale, a device composed of native aquatic plants, either submerged (SPD) or floating (FPD), including an extra artificial potential refuge (bio balls rolls) for zooplankton as a rehabilitation tool for urban ponds. As regards the impact of the tested devices on water quality variables, FPD provoked a decrease in TP and pH. In turns, SPD maintained the dissolved oxygen concentrations above those registered in FPD. Transparency was significantly higher in the presence of plants at final time. Differences in phytoplankton morpho-functional group diversity and zooplankton functional feeding groups were registered by the end of the experiment. Zooplankton abundance at the artificial refuges was higher than at the water column; a study of the efficiency of the bio balls rolls as potential active/passive refugees is merited.Considering benefits on water quality variables, we suggest that a device combining floating macrophytes plus the bio ball rolls deserves to be further tested at a greater scale in order to be considered as a water rehabilitation tool, including plant harvest.     

Decomposition of macrophytes in a shallow subtropical lake

Submerged macrophyte detritus is a major component of the organic matter entering shallow lakes. Plant litter decomposition is a complex process that is mediated by microorganisms and some invertebrates. However, the role that aquatic organisms play in the decomposition of macrophytes in shallow subtropical lakes is unclear. This study compared the decomposition rates of Potamogeton pectinatus and Chara zeylanica in a shallow lake (southern Brazil) and assessed the fungal biomass and the macroinvertebrate community associated with the detritus. Aliquots of both species were incubated in litter bags and placed in the lake. After 1, 7, 20, 40, 60, and 80 days of incubation, one set of litter bags was removed from the lake. In a laboratory, plant material was washed for the determination of decomposition rates, chemical characterisation, and quantification of microorganisms and invertebrates. After 80 days of incubation, there was no C. zeylanica detritus, with a decomposition that was four times faster than that of P. pectinatus. The chemical composition was also different between the two detritus, with P. pectinatus showing a higher concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, polyphenols, and carbon. The fungal biomass was similar between the two species. In total, 7502 invertebrates belonging to 27 taxa were sampled in this study. The composition and abundance of invertebrates was different between the two species. In conclusion, the chemical structure of the macrophyte species studied was important for the microorganisms’ and invertebrates’ colonisation. In addition, leaching had an important function in the initial degradation process.     

水生高等植物-浮游植物关系和湖泊营养状态

本文根据中国一些湖泊的资料,从湖泊营养化角度分析了水生高等植物的生物量,分布和优势种以及浮游植物,透明度和湖泊营养状态的关系,表明高等植物和浮游藻类这两种初级生产者的生产在浅水湖泊中呈负相关,并反映在水质指标和湖泊营养状态下,同是,简要讨论了光限制,营养供给和生化抑制作用在浮游植物与水生高等植物关系中的作用。     

Reconstructing changes in macrophyte cover in lakes across the northeastern United States based on sedimentary diatom assemblages

Macrophytes are a critical component of lake ecosystems affecting nutrient and contaminant cycling, food web structure, and lake biodiversity. The long-term (decades to centuries) dynamics of macrophyte cover are, however, poorly understood and no quantitative estimates exist for pre-industrial (pre-1850) macrophyte cover in northeastern North America. Using a 215 lake dataset, we tested if surface sediment diatom assemblages significantly differed among lakes that have sparse (<10% cover; group 1), moderate (10–40% cover; group 2) or extensive (>40% cover; group 3) macrophyte cover. Analysis of similarity indicated that the diatom assemblages of these a priori groups of macrophyte cover were significantly different from one another (i.e., difference between: groups 1 and 3, R statistic = 0.31, P < 0.001; groups 1 and 2, R statistic = 0.049, P < 0.01; groups 3 and 2, R statistic = 0.112, P < 0.001). We then developed an inference model for macrophyte cover from lakes classified as sparse or extensive cover (145 lakes) based on the surface sediment diatom assemblages, and applied this model using the top-bottom paleolimnological approach (i.e., comparison of recent sediments to pre-disturbance sediments). We used the second axis of our correspondence analysis, which significantly divided sparse and extensive macrophyte cover sites, as the independent variable in a logistic regression to predict macrophyte cover as either sparse or extensive. Cross validation, using 48 randomly chosen sites that were excluded from model development, indicated that our model accurately predicts macrophyte cover 79% of the time (r ² = 0.32, P < 0.001). When applied to the top and bottom sediment samples, our model predicted that 12.5% of natural lakes and 22.4% of reservoirs in the dataset have undergone a ≥30% change in macrophyte cover. For the sites with an inferred change in macrophyte cover, the majority of natural lakes (64.3%) increased in cover, while the majority of reservoirs (87.5%) decreased in macrophyte cover. This study demonstrates that surface sediment diatom assemblages from profundal zones differ in lakes based on their macrophyte cover and that diatoms are useful indicators for quantitatively reconstructing changes in macrophyte cover.