Critical loads of acidity for Irish lakes

Critical loads of acidity have been estimated for Irish lakes (277) using survey data from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and compatible inputs and methods across both regions. This is the first trans-region application of the Steady-State Water Chemistry model for the island of Ireland. Results indicate that a small percentage of lakes (10.8%, 30 lakes) have low critical loads of acidity (<50.0 mmol_c m^-2 yr^-1). Based on bulk sulphate deposition, exceedance of critical load was observed in 6.9% of the sampled lakes (19 lakes). Inferences relating to the whole lake population cannot be made, as statistical lake surveys were not carried out. However, as the surveys were weighted towards acid-sensitive lakes, the current study suggests that Irish lakes are not under a significant threat from anthropogenic acidification. The acidifying impact of nitrogen was incorporated into the exceedance calcula tion by superimposing the present leaching of nitrogen onto sulphate deposition. This increased exceedance by ഌ% (i.e., from 11 to 19 lakes). Despite the potential uncertainties associated with using default values and relationships in the Steady-State Water Chemistry model, uncertainty analysis indicated that the critical loads were relatively stable. The critical acid neutralising capacity limit (specified water quality criterion) had the greatest effect on the critical load. In the current study, a catchment dependent limit was employed (ranged: 0-50 7mol_c L^-1; mean: 35 7mol_c L^-1) rather than a single fixed value.     

Sensitivity to acidification of subalpine ponds and lakes in north‐western Colorado

Although acidifying deposition in western North America is lower than in many parts of the world, many high‐elevation ecosystems there are extremely sensitive to acidification. Previous studies determined that the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area (MZWA) has the most acidic snowpack and aquatic ecosystems that are among the most sensitive in the region. In this study, spatial and temporal variability of ponds and lakes in and near the MZWA were examined to determine their sensitivity to acidification and the effects of acidic deposition during and after snowmelt. Within the areas identified as sensitive to acidification based on bedrock types, there was substantial variability in acid‐neutralizing capacity (ANC), which was related to differences in hydrological flowpaths that control delivery of weathering products to surface waters. Geological and topographic maps were of limited use in predicting acid sensitivity because their spatial resolution was not fine enough to capture the variability of these attributes for lakes and ponds with small catchment areas. Many of the lakes are sensitive to acidification (summer and autumn ANC < 100 µeq L^?1), but none of them appeared to be threatened immediately by episodic or chronic acidification. In contrast, 22 ponds had minimum ANC < 30 µeq L^?1, indicating that they are extremely sensitive to acidic deposition and could be damaged by episodic acidification, although net acidity (ANC < 0) was not measured in any of the ponds during the study. The lowest measured pH value was 5·4, and pH generally remained less than 6·0 throughout early summer in the most sensitive ponds, indicating that biological effects of acidification are possible at levels of atmospheric deposition that occurred during the study. The aquatic chemistry of lakes was dominated by atmospheric deposition and biogeochemical processes in soils and shallow ground water, whereas the aquatic chemistry of ponds was also affected by organic acids and biogeochemical processes in the water column and at the sediment–water interface. These results indicate that conceptual and mechanistic acidification models that have been developed for lakes and streams may be inadequate for predicting acidification in less‐understood systems such as ponds. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factors affecting water chemistry of alpine lakes

During a four-year study (1988–1991), 413 lakes in the Central Alps (Italy, Switzerland and Austria) were investigated to quantify their acidification. The ionic content of the lakes was generally low: 68% of them had alkalinity values of less than 200 µeq 1^–1 and were regarded as sensitive to acidification. Moreover, 36% of the lakes showed alkalinity values of less than 50 µeq 1^–1. Redundancy Analysis was used to relate the hydrochemistry of 187 lakes to their catchment characteristics. Calcite weathering was the main factor influencing lake chemistry. The same analysis, applied to a subset of 101 lakes lying in watersheds exclusively composed of silicic rocks, showed that lake chemistry was influenced by silicate weathering and nitrogen uptake. These processes were found to be mainly related to lake altitude and the fraction of the watershed not covered by vegetation, i.e. controlled by temperature. The importance of these relations to explain the pH shift produced by climatic variation is also discussed.     

Assessment of episodic acidification in Sierra Nevada,California

Monte-Carlo simulations were used to assess the extent of shortterm alkalinity depressions occuring in Sierra Nevada lakes due to acidic deposition events. The Episodic Event Model (EEM) was used to simulate spring snowmelt events. Snow course data, precipitation data and lake acidification surveys were used to derive values for the EEM parameters. Spring snowmelt events were shown to have great impacts on the water quality of Sierran lakes. Lakes are likely to be most affected by the early-spring snowmelt event because the epilimnion depth is at a minimum, which indicates minimum dilution. Under annual average loading conditions, no Sierran lake has been reported as acidic although 29% of the lakes have alkalinities less than 40 µeq/L indicating a sensitivity to acidification. In simulations of early-spring snowmelt events, using present-day acidic loading conditions, it was estimated 79% ± 9% of the lakes would experience shortterm lake alkalinity depressions to levels less than 40 µeq/L. The results provided by the model simulations are valuable in establishing upper and lower limits on the extent of possible episodic acidification to lake-resources-at-risk. The most critical parameters controlling the magnitude of lake alkalinity depressions during snowmelt episodic events are a) the lake area to watershed area ratio — a measure of input loading, and b) the epilimnion volume — a measure of dilution and mixing.     

Stream geochemical response to reductions in acid deposition in headwater streams: Chronic versus episodic acidification recovery

In the decades since dramatic reductions in acid emissions and subsequent deposition in North America and Europe, the vast majority of research on aquatic chemical recovery has focused on trends in acid–base concentrations during baseflow conditions. Missing from such assessments is consideration of higher flow periods, when flow paths and chemical concentrations change and episodic acidification may occur. Stream samples collected weekly and bi‐hourly during high‐flow storm events from 1992 to 2015 at three watersheds representing a gradient in response to acid deposition in the south‐eastern United States were used to evaluate temporal trends in acid anions, base cations, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), and pH for each of five distinct flow exceedance regimes, as well as trends in concentration–discharge (C–Q) relationships. For the most well‐buffered watershed (mean ANC = 220 μeq L^?1), ANC and pH increased at a similar rate for baseflow and storm flow conditions. Decreases in sulfate controlled ANC trends at higher flows, whereas smaller sulfate decreases in combination with base cation increases resulted in similar ANC improvements for low‐flow periods. For the most acid sensitive watershed (mean ANC = 10 μeq L^?1), no trends in ANC or pH were observed for the lowest flows (>90% flow exceedance), whereas reductions in sulfate resulted in significant increases in ANC during higher flow conditions. At all sites, greater rates of sulfate decline during high‐flow, as compared with low‐flow, conditions are likely a result of a reduced capacity of near surface soils to adsorb and retain sulfur in these non‐glaciated watersheds. Overall, consistent increases in pH (~0.01–0.02 pH units year^?1) during higher flow conditions (<10% flow exceedance) in contrast to the variable trends observed during lower flows (>50% flow exceedance) illustrate that episodic acidification is recovering at an equal or greater rate than chronic acidification in these watersheds.     

Lake Koronia, Greece: Shift from autotrophy to heterotrophy with cultural eutrophication and progressive water-level reduction

Lake Koronia, a Ramsar site, is shallow, polymictic, hypertrophic and until recently was aerially the fourth largest lake in Greece. Although exceeding 5 m in the past, lake depth has declined progressively from 3.8 m in 1980 to < 1 m in 1997, reducing surface area and water volume by 50% and 80%, respectively. Specific conductivityincreased from 1300 μS cm⁻¹ in 1977 to >6000 μS cm⁻¹ in 1991. Increased phosphate concentrations from the late 1970's (8–45 μg L⁻¹) to the late 1990's (100–1000 μg L⁻¹) document that the previously eutrophic system with a limited littoral zone switched to hypertrophy dominated by massive cyanobacteria blooms. Oxygen saturation of the water column increased progressively from about 80% in 1983 to full saturation about 1993, after which it decreased progressively to only 20% saturation in 1997. In spite of cyanobacteria dominance, community metabolism of the lake switched from progressively increasing autotrophy to rapidly advancing heterotrophy associated with progressive water-level reduction leading to fish extirpation in the lake.     

Chronic and episodic acidification of streams along the Appalachian Trail corridor,eastern United States

Acidic atmospheric deposition has adversely affected aquatic ecosystems globally. As emissions and deposition of sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) have declined in recent decades across North America and Europe, ecosystem recovery is evident in many surface waters. However, persistent chronic and episodic acidification remain important concerns in vulnerable regions. We evaluated acidification in 269 headwater streams during 2010–2012 along the Appalachian Trail (AT) that transits several ecoregions and is located downwind of high levels of S and N emission sources. Discharge was estimated by matching sampled streams to those of a nearby gaged stream and assuming equivalent daily mean flow percentiles. Charge balance acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) values were adjusted to the 15th (Q15) and 85th flow percentiles (Q85) by applying the ANC/discharge slope among sample pairs collected at each stream. A site-based approach was applied to streams sampled twice or more and a second regression-based approach to streams sampled once to estimate episodic acidification magnitudes as the ANC difference from Q15 to Q85. Streams with ANC <0 μeq/L doubled from 16% to 32% as discharge increased from Q15 to Q85 according to the site-based approach. The proportion of streams with ANC <0 μeq/L at low flow and high flow decreased from north to south. Base cation dilution explained the greatest amount of episodic acidification among streams and variation in sulfate (SO₄²⁻) concentrations was a secondary explanatory variable. Episodic SO₄²⁻ patterns varied geographically with dilution dominant in northern streams underlain by soils developed in glacial sediment and increased concentrations dominant in southern streams with older, highly weathered soils. Episodic acidification increased as low-flow ANC increased, exceeding 90 μeq/L in 25% of streams. Episodic increases in ANC were the dominant pattern in streams with low-flow ANC values <30 μeq/L. Chronic and episodic acidification remain an ecological concern among AT streams. The approach developed here could be applied to estimate the magnitude and extent of chronic and episodic acidification in other regions recovering from decreasing levels of atmospheric S and N deposition.     

Environmental determinants of littoral paludification in boreal lakes

Numerical studies of the relationships between littoral processes and environmental variables are important because they provide understanding of the impacts of natural and human factors on lake systems. In this study, littoral paludification, its occurrence, types and main environmental determinants were studied in boreal lakes with varying size (41–560 km²) and total phosphorus content (4.5–35.5 μg L⁻¹) in Finland. The relative importance of catchment characteristics, water quality and water level regulation on paludification was analysed at the lake level (n=20), whereas the importance of site morphology, soil quality and aquatic vegetation was analysed at the site level (n=289). This study utilised two novel statistical methods in numerical analyses: generalised linear mixed models and variation partitioning (VP). Bottom ward overgrowth was the main paludification type in the studied lakes. At the lake level, the magnitude of spring flooding and the altitude of the lake had a negative response to paludification, whereas the existence of water level regulation, cover of clay soil and total phosphorus content correlated positively to paludification. At the site level, the paludification was negatively related to slope angle, and positively to the occurrence of clay soil, Glyceria maxima (reed sweet-grass) and the abundance of eutrophy indicator species. However, a considerable amount of variation in littoral paludification both at lake and site levels was accounted for by the joint effects of predictors and may thus be causally related to two or all three groups of predictors.     

A hydrobiological study to interpret the presence of desmids in Lake Zirahuén, México

Monthly collections of phytoplankton were supported by physical–chemical data and measures of chlorophyll a concentrations in the search for particular environmental factors that could explain the constant presence of desmids in a Mexican tropical lake, a characteristic not common among the phytoplanktic communities of Mexican lakes. Samplings were taken from the water column in the deepest part of the lake (40 m) and intensified in the metalimnetic zone, whose establishment was monitored by observations of temperature and oxygen profiles. The general behavior of Lake Zirahuén was typical of warm monomictic tropical lakes at high elevation: a short mixing phase during the hemispheric winter. The depth of Z_MIX and Z_eu revealed a well-illuminated epilimnion, suggesting that phytoplankton communities are not likely to be light-limited. The oligotrophic nature of the lake is indicated by discrete concentrations of inorganic nutrients, P_TOT in the interval of 0.01–0.03 mg l⁻¹ and chlorophyll a between 0.23 and 3.98 μg l⁻¹. These characteristics together with a low concentration of calcium, define a lacustrine environment different from other Mexican lakes, and one that could be suitable for desmids communities.     

Crustacean zooplankton distribution patterns and their biomass as related to trophic indicators of 29 shallow subtropical lakes

A comparative limnological study was carried out to present a snapshot of crustacean zooplankton communities and their relations to environmental factors to test whether there is a consistent relationship between crustacean biomass and trophic indicators among lake groups with similar trophic conditions. The study lakes showed a wide range of trophic status, with total phosphorus (TP) ranging from 0.008 to 1.448 mg L⁻¹, and chlorophyll a from 0.7 to 146.1 μg L⁻¹, respectively. About 38 species of Crustacea were found, of which Cladocera were represented by 25 taxa (20 genera), and Copepoda by 13 taxa (11 genera). The most common and dominant species were Bosmina coregoni, Moina micrura, Diaphanosoma brachyurum, Cyclops vicinus, Thermocyclops taihokuensis, Mesocyclops notius and Sinocalanus dorrii. Daphnia was rare in abundance. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that except for four species (D. hyalina, S. dorrii, C. vicinus and M. micrura), almost all the dominant species had the same preference for environmental factors. Temperature, predatory cyclopoids and planktivorous fishes seem to be the key factors determining species distribution. TP was a relatively better trophic indicator than chlorophyll a to predict crustacean biomass. Within the three groups of lakes, however, there was no consistent relationship between crustacean biomass and trophic indicators. The possible reason might be that top-down and bottom-up control on crustaceans vary with lake trophic state. The lack of significant negative correlation between crustacean biomass and chlorophyll a suggests that there was little control of phytoplankton biomass by macrozooplankton in these shallow subtropical lakes.     

Variation in transparent exopolymer particles in relation to biological and chemical factors in two contrasting lake districts

In inland waters, transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) can affect carbon export and sequestration in sediments with consequences for lake C budgets. We measured TEP concentration in 32 lakes from two contrasting lake districts covering wide ranges in biological and chemical characteristics. North temperate lakes, located in a wet region, have low to moderate ionic strength and low to high dissolved organic carbon with corresponding variation in color (light absorbance). Mediterranean lakes located in a semiarid region were characterized by high ionic strength and high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon but low color. TEP concentrations were large relative to the living portion of the particulate organic carbon pool in both Mediterranean (36%) and north temperate (33%) lakes. TEP concentrations ranged from 36 to 1,462 μg [as Gum Xanthan equivalents (GX eq)] L⁻¹ in north temperate lakes. In the Mediterranean lakes, concentrations were higher that previously reported for other systems and ranged from 66 to 9,038 μg GX eq L⁻¹. TEP concentration was positive and significantly related to chlorophyll a (chl a) in north temperate lakes and in the entire data set. Although a significant and positive relationship between TEP and chl a was also detected in the Mediterranean lakes, bacterial abundance was most strongly related to TEP. In contrast with the positive influence of phytoplankton and bacteria on TEP, there were weaker relationships between TEP and the chemical variables tested. We observed a significant and positive relationship between pH and TEP (for all lakes) but this relationship was indirectly driven by a co-variation of pH with phytoplankton biomass based on multiple regression analysis. For the Mediterranean lakes, the negative (but not significant) trends between TEP and both conductivity and divalent cations suggest thresholds above which TEP will likely be destabilized. Under these conditions, TEP may flocculate or disperse in the water column.     

Inorganic nitrogen retention in acid‐sensitive lakes in southern Norway and southern Ontario,Canada—a comparison of mass balance data with an empirical N retention model

In‐lake retention of inorganic nitrogen species (nitrate and ammonium) was estimated from mass balances in five acid‐sensitive lakes in southern Norway and eight in southern Ontario, Canada, to evaluate an empirical in‐lake N retention (R_N) model. This model is included in the First‐order Acidity Balance (FAB) model, which currently is used for calculation of critical acid loads and exceedances in many countries. To estimate in‐lake R_N, the FAB model uses a recommended mass transfer coefficient (S_N) of 5 m year⁻¹, which mainly is derived from NO₃⁻ mass balances in Canadian lakes. To date, the in‐lake R_N model has not been evaluated for large parts of Europe. At the Norwegian study sites receiving the highest N deposition (>120 meq m⁻² year⁻¹) the net in‐lake retention of inorganic N (TIN) exceeded the corresponding terrestrial retention by a factor of 1·1–2·6. Despite differences in N loading and hydrology at the Norwegian and Canadian sites, both the mean mass transfer coefficients for NO₃⁻ (S_NO3; 6·5 versus 5·6 m year⁻¹) and TIN (S_TIN; 7·9 versus 7·0 m year⁻¹) were of comparable magnitude. Both mean values and ranges of S_NO3 suggest that the default S_N value presently recommended for FAB model applications seems valid over a large range in N inputs and areal water loads (q_s). However, owing to the relatively few data available for lakes with high q_s values (15–150 m year⁻¹), it is recommended that more lakes within this range be included in future studies to obtain a more precise prediction of in‐lake N retention over a wide q_s gradient. Also, when considering that the FAB model treats all inorganic N leaching from a catchment as NO₃⁻, it seems reasonable to use a default S_TIN value instead of just S_NO3 when estimating in‐lake R_N. In that case, the in‐lake R_N presently calculated by the FAB model might be slightly underestimated. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal dynamics of zooplankton in Lake Huetzalin, Xochimilco (Mexico City, Mexico)

We quantified the seasonal changes in the zooplankton abundances collected from the Huetzalin Lake (Mexico City, Mexico) for two years (February 2003–January 2004 and then March 2005–February 2006). Selected physicochemical variables (Secchi depth, temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen, carbon and chlorophyll a concentration) were also measured at the time of zooplankton collection. The data on zooplankton abundances and the physicochemical variables were subjected to multiple correlation analysis and we also derived Shannon–Wiener species diversity index. Secchi depth ranged from 9 to 65 cm. Generally the lake was alkaline (pH 7–12). The conductivity ranged from 500–1000 mS cm⁻¹, while the mean water temperature was 20.5 °C. Dissolved oxygen levels were generally >3 mg L⁻¹ and were higher in the winter than warmer months. Nitrates (90–95 μg L⁻¹) and phosphates (.2–.5 mg L⁻¹) indicated that the water was eutrophic. Chlorophyll a levels ranged from 143 to 696 μg L⁻¹ during the study period. The zooplankton community was dominated by rotifers (46 species), followed by cladocerans (9 species) and there were only two copepod species. The dominant rotifer species were Brachionus angularis, Brachionus calyciflorus, Brachionus havanaensis, Brachionus quadridentatus, Lecane bulla and Polyarthra vulgaris. Rare rotifer species in Lake Huetzalin were Lecane ohioensis, Dicranophorus forcipatus, Lecane pyriformis, Lindia torulosa, Pleurotrocha petromyzon and Brachionus durgae. Highest densities (occasional peaks of 400 ind L⁻¹) of B. quadridentatus occurred between April and December, while B. havanaensis reached peak densities, during June to October. B. calyciflorus reached densities higher than 1240 ind L⁻¹ during May–September. Cladoceran and copepod densities in Lake Huetzalin were much lower than that of the rotifers. This study confirmed the earlier findings that Xochimilco system of canals is dominated by rotifers and the crustacean zooplankton have much lower abundances possibly due to predation from fish.     

Chemistry of high mountain lakes in siliceous chatchments of the Central Eastern Alps

Alpine lakes in siliceous catchments of Tyrol and Carinthia (Austria) show signs of acidification. About 9% of the studied lakes have no alkalinity, more than 20% are below pH 6. About two thirds of all lakes have acid neutralizing capacities below 100 eq 1^–1. In spite of moderate precipitation acidity, some lakes show considerable concentrations of dissolved reactive aluminum during or shortly after snowmelt. High altitude lakes of the Alps are definitely more acidic than high mountain lakes in remote areas. Large differences in water and soil chemistry of nearby situated lakes were attributed to heterogeneities of bedrock geology. Paleolimnological investigations on former pH values of five lakes, based on diatom assemblages in the sediment, showed different developments: recent and past acidification, stable conditions, and alkalinization.     

Chemical characteristics of the crater lakes of Popocatetetl, El Chichon, and Nevado de Toluca volcanoes, Mexico

Three crater lakes from Mexican volcanoes were sampled and analyzed at various dates to determine their chemical characteristics. Strong differences were observed in the chemistry among the three lakes: Nevado de Toluca, considered as dormant, El Chichón at a post-eruptive stage, and Popocatépetl at a pre-eruptive stage. Not surprisingly, no influence of volcanic activity was found at the Nevado de Toluca volcano, while the other volcanoes showed a correlation between the changing level of activity and the evolution of chemical trends. Low pHs (<3.0) were measured in the water from the active volcanoes, while a pH of 5.6 was measured at the Nevado de Toluca Sun lake. Changes with time were observed at Popocatépetl and El Chichón. Concentrations of volcanic-gas derived species like Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻ and F⁻ decreased irregularly at El Chichón from 1983 until 1997. Major cations concentrations also diminished at El Chichón. A 100% increase in the SO₄²⁻ content was measured at Popocatépetl between 1985 and 1994. An increase in the Mg/Cl ratio between 1992 (Mg/Cl=0.085) and 1994 (Mg/Cl=0.177) was observed at Popocatépetl, before the disappearance of the crater lake in 1994. It is concluded that chemical analysis of crater lakes may provide a useful additional tool for active-volcano monitoring.     

Conductivity as a predictor of a total cations and salinity in Ethiopian lakes and rivers: revisiting earlier models

We used regression analyses of water samples from 18 lakes, nine rivers, and one spring in Ethiopia to (a) test the hypothesis that water bodies of relatively higher salinity (K₂₅>1000 μS cm⁻¹) have a different conductivity to salinity relationship than waters of lower salinity (K₂₅ < 1000 μS cm⁻¹), and (b) develop models to predict total cations and salinity from conductivity that can be used for Ethiopian waters and other African aquatic systems of similar chemical composition. We found no statistical difference in the bilogarithmic relationships (total cations vs. conductivity; salinity vs. conductivity) for waters of higher salinity (K₂₅ > 1000 μS cm⁻¹) and waters of lower salinity (K₂₅ < 1000 μS cm⁻¹). However, comparison among our models and models from the literature suggests that developing separate equations for low and high salinity water bodies has some merit. We believe that the equations developed in this study can be used for Ethiopian waters and other African waters within the range of conductivity in this study.     

Dissolved inorganic nutrients and organic substrates in the River Warnow (North-Eastern Germany) – Utilisation by bacterioplankton

After 1990, external loads of Central European rivers with inorganic nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and organic material were reduced because of changed environmental laws. However, in the eutrophic lowland River Warnow, North-Eastern Germany, nitrate concentrations remained high with 35–185 μmol l⁻¹ without a significant decrease since 1992. In contrast, phosphate concentrations, varying between 0.3 and 5.2 μmol l⁻¹ during the growth season 2002, decreased significantly over the years. However, its concentrations still exceeded 1 μmol l⁻¹ regularly in the growth seasons. This load led to a substantial accumulation of organic matter additional to high terrestrial inputs. Despite the high organic load, the remineralising bacteria were mainly inactive in River Warnow. Therefore, the composition of the dissolved organic material, especially its bioavailability, were investigated during the growth season 2002 and discussed with other potential controlling factors. River Warnow carried a high load of dissolved organic carbon (14 mg l⁻¹), especially of humic substances (5.5 mg C l⁻¹). Bacterial abundance (12×10⁶ ml⁻¹) as well as production (1.7 μg C l⁻¹ h⁻¹) depended on temperature. During late spring and summer at constantly higher temperatures, bacterial production correlated positively to readily utilisable substrates and to humic compounds. Thus, the bacterial community in River Warnow may be well adapted or contain enough species using the available amino acids and carbohydrates as well as humic matter compounds. However, calculated from protozoan biomass, grazing may control bacterial biomass and perhaps community composition profoundly, what lead to the low percentages of active bacteria.