Seasonal variations in phytoplankton biomass and primary production in the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes Ziway, Awassa and Chamo – The basis for fish production

Seasonal variations in the biomass (Chl a) and primary production (¹⁴C-method) of phytoplankton were studied during 12 months of 2005 in the three Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes (ERVL) Ziway, Awassa and Chamo. Chl a showed an average value of 40, 20, and 30 mg m⁻³ for the three lakes, respectively. Integrated areal primary production for the total phytoplankton (g C m⁻² d⁻¹) varied 2-fold in the three lakes but on different levels, from 0.67–1.8 in L. Ziway, 1.8–4.6 in L. Awassa, and 1.0–2.6 in L. Chamo. The overall photosynthetic efficiency of utilizing photosynthetically active radiation by the phytoplankton on molar basis (mmol C mol of photons⁻¹) resulted in an average value of 1.4 for L. Ziway, 3.5 for L. Awassa and 1.6 for L. Chamo. Among the different factors regulating phytoplankton primary productivity, light penetration and nutrients were the most important in the three lakes. The seasonal variations of incident radiation (most values between 5 and 7 E m⁻² h⁻¹) and water temperature (most values between 22 and 24 °C) were small and unlikely to result in the marked differences in phytoplankton primary production. Although relative increase in nutrient concentrations occurred following the rainy periods, the major algal nutrients were either consistently low (nitrate and/or silicate) or high (phosphate and/or ammonium) and remained within a narrow range for most of the study period in all the three lakes. Consequently, phytoplankton biomass and primary production seem to be maintained more by nutrient regeneration or turnover (facilitated by high temperature) than by allochthonous nutrient input. This would be coupled with wind-induced mixing that would play an important role in determining hydrographic characteristics (water column structure) and the associated redistribution of nutrients and phytoplankton, the availability of light and subsequently the spatial (vertical) and temporal patterns of phytoplankton production in these three ERVL. Phytoplankton production (PP) is regarded as a good predictor of fish yield in lakes and seasonal measurements of PP is a prerequisite for good such estimates.     

Pelagic food web interactions and hypolimnetic oxygen depletion: Results from experimental enclosures and lakes

Large lakes enclosures were used to examine the influence of nutrient (P, N) enrichment and planktivorous fish (1 + yellow perch) predation on hypolimnetic oxygen depletion. Results were compared to similar data for lakes with high (Lake St. George) and low (Haynes Lake) abundances of planktivorous fish. In both the unfertilized and fertilized enclosures, fish predation on large cladocerans increased the biomasses of pico- and nanoplankton (0.2–20 µm), phytoplankton (chlorophyll a) and total phosphorus (TP), reduced sedimentation, water clarity, and hypolimnetic oxygen concentrations (AHO). Fertilized enclosures without fish had highest TP and sedimentation rates, but the AHO were low. The high planktivore lake had higher pico- and nanoplankton, higher chlorophyll a, reduced water clarity, and lower AHO than the low planktivore lake. Areal hypolimnetic oxygen depletion (AHOD) rates were strongly related with Secchi depth and plankton size-distribution (r ² = 0.77, and 0.79, respectively), but not as strongly with TP, chlorophyll a, and sedimentation rates (r ² = 0.25, 0.53, and 0.02, respectively). Such observations are useful in forming a generalized hypothesis that lakes with low planktivory and high water clarity have lower oxygen depletion because 1) plankton that are settling are larger and spend less time in the hypolimnetic water column before reaching the sediment, and therefore undergo less decomposition, and 2) the euphotic depth extends into the hypolimnion and production of oxygen can take place.     

北京城区河湖水质分析

调研结果显示,2003年北京城区河湖(11个监测水体)总磷、总氮含量分别为0．142mg/L、1．481mg/L,已达到比较 严重的富营养状态．北京城市河湖属于藻型水体,初级生产力主要决定于浮游藻类的群落结构与密度．河湖水体中浮游 藻类密度为37867．82×10~4cells/L,其群落由蓝藻(Cyanophyta)、绿藻(Chlorophyta)、硅藻(Bcillariophyta)、甲藻(Pyrrophy— ta)、隐藻(Cryptophyta)、黄藻(Xanthophyta)、金藻(Chrysophyta)和裸藻(Eugleniphyta)构成．群落中蓝藻占绝对优势 (89．54%)．在近几年的夏秋季连续发生程度不同的微囊藻(microcystis)水华,对水体功能和城市景观造成了不良影响． 主要原因是：(1)氮磷和有机物的污染,(2)给城市河湖补给的水量少,(3)河湖生态系统被损害,水体自净能力差．本文 对如何改善北京城市河湖水质提出了建议．     

Pelagic trophic transfer efficiency in an oligotrophic, dimictic deep lake (Lake Stechlin, Germany) and its relation to fisheries yield

We investigated trophic transfer efficiency in the pelagic food chain of deep, oligotrophic Lake Stechlin (Germany) by analyses of the primary, secondary, and fish production. Primary production between April and November 2000 was estimated at 78 g C m⁻², pelagic secondary production at 14 g C m⁻², and production of the main planktivorous fish species [European cisco, Coregonus albula (L.)] at 0.77 g C m⁻². Thus, trophic transfer efficiency between primary and pelagic secondary production was around 18%, whereas between pelagic and fish production around 6%. The high efficiency at the first step of the chain is discussed to be due to the high food quality in oligotrophic lakes due to the dominance of Bacillariophyceae and Chlorophyceae rich in essential fatty acids. In turn, the relatively low trophic transfer efficiency between the secondary and the fish production is mainly explained by the avoidance of calanoid copepods as food source by the ciscoes. Concerning the trophic transfer efficiency, results from this study support the general assumption of a 10% transfer between neighbouring trophic levels within ecosystems.     

Effects of fish manipulation on the plankton community in small hypertrophic lakes from the Pampa Plain (Argentina)

Trophic cascade hypotheses predict that fish will affect the structure and biomass of pelagic plankton communities. In order to investigate trophic cascade effects from fish down to phytoplankton, whole-lake studies were performed in five hypertrophic (mean total phosphorus (TP) concentrations higher than 1000 mg m⁻³) shallow lakes located in the Pampa Plain. The main climatic characteristic of this region is the alternation between periods of drought and flood, with corresponding changes of lake depth and conductivity of lake water. All lakes were studied from April to December 2000. Samples were taken of their physical and chemical characteristics and biotic communities, focusing on the zooplankton community. Fish were manipulated in four lakes (Capurro, Longinotti, Vedia 1, Vedia 2), while the fifth (Lake Vedia 3) was left undisturbed as a reference system. High abundance of planktivorous minnows (Jenynsia multidentata and Cheirodon interruptus) dominated the fish community in the reference lake. In the manipulated lakes, fish stocks were largely reduced in late autumn (May). During winter, Capurro, Longinotti and Vedia 1 were stocked with a visual planktivore, the pampean silverside (Odontesthes bonariensis, Atherinidae). Fish stocking was 24, 33 and 19 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. In contrast, no fish were stocked in Lake Vedia 2. Following fish removal, large Daphnia appeared in these lakes and grazed intensively on the phytoplankton. In contrast, no Daphnia were found in the reference lake (Vedia 3). The stocking of O. bonariensis in lakes Capurro, Longinotti and Vedia 1 led to a decrease in the percentage of large cladocerans and a rise in the phytoplankton biomass:TP ratio. Moreover, the lakes mentioned were stocked with different quantities of silversides over different periods of time. These differences were reflected temporarily in the plankton dynamics, affecting mainly larger sized zooplankton. Nevertheless, the presence of Daphnia was short lived in the lake where fish had been removed and no O. bonariensis were stocked. Competition for resources and recruitment of remaining fish probably caused a collapse in the zooplankton biomass. Our results support the idea that fish predation on zooplankton and its effect on phytoplankton is very intense in small pampean lakes. Fish removal was short lived, however. This could be because in small pampean lakes fish recolonization is favored, and minnows are highly prolific. Moreover, if manipulation of the trophic structure of lakes is undertaken in the pampean region, high nutrient loading from the watershed, climate and hydrology should also be taken into account.     

Phosphorus forms and bioavailability of lake sediments in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River

Forms of phosphorus in sediments from 25 lakes in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River were analyzed by the sequential extraction procedure. Contents and spatial distrubution of algal available phosphorus (AAP) in sediments of Lake Taihu, the third largest freshwater lake of China, were also studied. Relationships between phosphorus forms in sediment and macrophytes coverage in sample sites, as well as phosphorus forms in sediments and chlorophyal contents in lake water were discussed. Exchangeable form of phosphorus (Ex-P) in surface sediments was significantly positive correlative to total phosphorus (IP), dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) contents in the lake water. Bioavailable phosphorus (Bio-P) contents in sediments from macrophytes dominant sites were significantly lower than that in no macrophyte sites. In Lake Taihu, Ex-P content in top 3 cm sediment was highest. However, content of ferric fraction phosphorus (Fe-P) was highest in 4 - 10 cm. Bioavalilble phosphorus (Bio-P) contents in surface sediments positively correlated to Chlorophyll a contents in water of Lake Taihu with significant difference. Therefore, contents of Bio-P and AAP could be acted as the indicators of risks of internal release of phosphorus in the shallow lakes. It was estimated that there were 268.6 ton AAP in top 1 cm sediments in Lake Taihu. Sediment suspension caused by strong wind-induced wave disturbance could carry plenty of AAP into water in large shallow lakes like Lake Taihu.     

Phosphorus forms and bioavailability of lake sediments in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River

Forms of phosphorus in sediments from 25 lakes in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River were analyzed by the sequential extraction procedure. Contents and spatial distrubution of algal available phosphorus (AAP) in sediments of Lake Taihu, the third largest freshwater lake of China, were also studied. Relationships between phosphorus forms in sediment and macrophytes coverage in sample sites, as well as phosphorus forms in sediments and chlorophyal contents in lake water were discussed. Exchangeable form of phosphorus (Ex-P) in surface sediments was significantly positive correlative to total phosphorus (TP), dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) contents in the lake water. Bioavailable phosphorus (Bio-P) contents in sediments from macrophytes dominant sites were significantly lower than that in no macrophyte sites. In Lake Taihu, Ex-P content in top 3 cm sediment was highest. However, content of ferric fraction phosphorus (Fe-P) was highest in 4–10 cm. Bioavalilble phosphorus (Bio-P) contents in surface sediments positively correlated to Chlorophyll a contents in water of Lake Taihu with significant difference. Therefore, contents of Bio-P and AAP could be acted as the indicators of risks of internal release of phosphorus in the shallow lakes. It was estimated that there were 268.6 ton AAP in top 1 cm sediments in Lake Taihu. Sediment suspension caused by strong wind-induced wave disturbance could carry plenty of AAP into water in large shallow lakes like Lake Taihu.     

Fish distribution patterns and habitat availability in lakes Moreno Este and Moreno Oeste,Patagonia, Argentina

Andean Patagonian lakes are ultraoligotrophic and deep, have simple food webs and low fish diversity and abundance. In this work the distributional abundance data of fish was studied in two interconnected Andean Patagonian lakes with varying proportions of contrasting habitat types. Hydroacoustic data (120 kHz) were used to analyze fish abundance and habitat use during the mixis and stratification periods. Three types of habitat (near shore, surface pelagic and deep pelagic) and two groups of fish, based on size (Big Fish >12 cm total length and Fish Larvae and Small Fish <12 cm total length) were defined. The distribution of both fish groups in these lakes revealed differences in habitat use for each lake and period. Fish group abundance was related to the availability of habitat types, according to the morphology of each lake. The Big Fish group showed preference for the near shore habitat during lake stratification and always appeared as individual targets. The Fish Larvae and Small Fish group used mainly the pelagic habitat during mixis, where they formed dense sound scattering layers. However, during lake stratification many individual targets from this group were found both in pelagic and near shore habitats, which would seem to indicate a change in distributional behavior. This is possibly associated with niche changes in the Galaxiids (Galaxias spp), a key component of Northern Patagonian lake food webs. Lakes like Moreno Oeste, which are morphologically and structurally more complex, could have more diverse fish ensembles with higher abundances. In contrast, lakes of simple morphology with low development of near shore habitats and ample deep zones, like Lake Moreno Este, could present lower Big Fish abundance. The contrasting habitat availability between lakes accounts for the abundances and distribution patterns of each fish group. While in these lakes fish assemblage species composition could depends on the environmental filter, the particular structure of a fish assemblage in terms of the proportional abundances of species depends on proportional habitat type availability. We can speculate that in Andean Patagonian lakes Galaxiids mediate a habitat coupling process critical for the transfer of energy and matter in oligotrophic lakes. We may also consider that the Small Puyen in this type of lake is a keystone prey species that relieves predation pressure on other potential prey. The existence of deep pelagic habitats in numerous deep lakes in the Northern Patagonian Andean region provides not only daytime refuge for Galaxiids, which allows them to maintain their high numbers in the lakes, but could also, in the long term, act as a Galaxiid source for other water bodies.     

浅水湖泊底栖-敞水生境耦合对富营养化的响应与稳态转换机理:对湖泊修复的启示

浅水湖泊中的初级生产者主要由分布在底栖生境中的底栖植物和生活在敞水生境中的浮游植物组成.底栖植物主要包括维管束沉水植物和底栖藻类等,浮游植物则主要为浮游藻类.贫营养浅水湖泊湖水营养盐浓度低,透明度高,底栖植物因能直接从沉积物中获取营养盐,往往是浅水湖泊的优势初级生产者.随着外源营养盐负荷的增加,湖水中的营养盐浓度不断升高,浮游植物受到的营养盐限制作用减小,加上其在光照方面的竞争优势,逐步发展成为湖泊的优势初级生产者,湖泊逐步从底栖植物为优势的清水态转变为浮游植物为主的浑水态,即稳态转换.在稳态转换过程中,浅水湖泊生态系统结构与功能发生了一系列变化,本文综述了浅水湖泊沉积物性质和生物(浮游植物、底栖植物、底栖动物和鱼类等)群落结构的变化,分析了这些变化对底栖植物、浮游植物之间竞争优势和底栖敞水生境间磷交换的影响,探讨了富营养化驱动的底栖敞水生境耦合过程变化和稳态转换机理.了解浅水湖泊底栖敞水生境耦合过程与稳态转换机理对富营养化浅水湖泊修复有重要意义.富营养化浅水湖泊修复实际就是重建其清水态,在制定修复目标时应该关注评价清水态的指标,如透明度、浮游植物生物量、底栖植物的覆盖度或优势度等.在开展湖泊修复技术研发与工程应用时,应该重点关注对底栖敞水生境耦合有重要影响的关键技术,如沉积物磷释放和底栖生物食性鱼类控制以及底栖植物(尤其是沉水植物)恢复等有关技术.     

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.     

江汉湖群渔业资源演变特点及开发对策

在系统、全面、综合分析湖北省江汉湖群渔业资源演变特点、利用现状的前提下,按照湖泊的大、中、小不同形态特征,提出了围网拦网养鱼、划块分格养鱼和集约精养几种开发利用方式。在实施对策上,提出了要处理好湖泊水面跨区矛盾、渔业开发与其他经济部门的利用结合、生产要素优化配置和家庭承包制适应的几个关系。     

Cross-taxon responses to elevated nutrients in European streams and lakes

Few studies have compared the response of different taxonomic groups to environmental stress across aquatic ecosystems. We regressed assemblage structure of fish, invertebrates, macrophytes, phytoplankton and benthic diatoms to total phosphorus concentration, after removing the effect of ecosystem size (stream order, lake surface area), using data from 66 streams and 45 lakes across Europe. In streams, the structure of benthic diatom assemblages, measured by nonmetric multidimensional scaling, showed the strongest correlation to elevated nutrient concentrations (adj. R² = 0.495), followed by benthic invertebrates (0.376), fish (0.181) and macrophytes (0.153). For lakes, the patterns were less clear: fish (0.155), macrophytes (0.146) and phytoplankton (0.132). Cross-system comparison showed that stream assemblages were responding more strongly to nutrient concentrations than lake assemblages. Moreover, our results lend some support to the conjecture that response signatures are related to trophic level, with primary producers (benthic diatoms) responding more strongly than consumers (invertebrates, fish). Knowledge of differences in responses among taxonomic groups and between habitats to disturbance can be used to design more cost-effective monitoring programs.     

上行与下行效应对浮游动物的长期影响评价——以滇池与抚仙湖沉积物象鼻溞(Bosmina)为例

近年来云南高原湖泊面临富营养化、渔业活动增强等多重环境压力的叠加影响,对湖泊的有效治理与生态修复急需对多重压力下生态系统的响应模式进行系统了解.现有研究表明在系统生产力和捕食压力的不同配置下,湖泊系统主要组成(如浮游动物)的响应特征可能出现差异且捕食压力可能随营养水平的变化而改变,目前对云南湖泊生态系统的研究主要集中于单一环境压力下的生态响应.本研究以目前分别处于重富营养和中-贫营养水平的滇池和抚仙湖为研究对象,应用湖泊沉积物记录进行多指标分析,探讨受外来鱼类影响下两个大型湖泊浮游动物长期响应模式的异同.通过象鼻溞生物量与个体大小等指标,重建了近百年来滇池与抚仙湖典型浮游动物的变化历史,结果表明随着湖泊生产力水平(如沉积物色素生产量)的增加,2个湖泊中象鼻溞生物量显著增加,同时物种相对组成出现明显变化(如Bosmina longispina被B.longirostris取代),指示湖泊上行效应对浮游动物的控制作用.同时象鼻溞的生物量、壳长与触角长度的变化在1960s与1980s有明显降低的趋势,与同期外来鱼类(如银鱼)引入与渔业产量增加的时间一致.进一步应用多变量回归分析与方差分解方法来定量评价上行与下行效应对象鼻溞生物量变化的驱动强度,结果表明富营养化(沉积物色素)和捕食作用(象鼻溞壳长)对浮游动物长期变化的驱动强度比较相似(分别解释了生物量变化的77.25%和83.59%),然而在滇池下行效应对象鼻溞生物量的独立影响比在贫营养的抚仙湖中更强(分别为15.46%和10.39%),上行效应对象鼻溞生物量的影响在抚仙湖要明显强于滇池(分别为69.74%和19.67%),而在滇池上行与下行效应的相互作用强度明显强于抚仙湖(分别为42.12%和3.46%).结果表明随着湖泊营养水平的升高,浮游动物的生物量在2个湖泊中均显著增加,而外来鱼类(如太湖新银鱼)的引入和经济鱼类数量的增加加剧了对浮游动物的捕食压力,造成了浮游动物的生物量降低和个体减小.但在快速富营养化的滇池,对浮游动物的捕食压力随营养水平的变化出现较强的依赖性,而在总体处于中-贫营养水平的抚仙湖中此相互作用较弱.结果表明在不同营养水平的大型湖泊中,营养水平的变化幅度可以导致鱼类捕食压力的差异性变化,指示了对鱼类捕食压力的评价和浮游动物长期变化的特征分析需要考虑湖泊的营养水平与富营养化过程的差异.总之,富营养化和外来鱼类的引入导致了高原湖泊生态系统的快速响应与结构变化,因此对高原湖泊的生态修复需要考虑湖泊营养水平对生态系统结构与食物链作用的影响.     

气候变化对湖库水环境的潜在影响研究进展

本文着重归纳气候变化对湖库热力特性、冰期、溶解氧、营养盐、浮游植物和水生植物等方面的影响规律,探讨气候变化对湖库水环境潜在影响的区域差异,讨论现有研究方法的优缺点和发展前景.研究表明,气候变暖对湖库物理过程的影响最为显著;热带草原气候和温带海洋性气候对于气候变暖和降雨变化的响应较其他气候类型突出;气候变化对湖库水环境的影响效果具有两面性.通过分析各气候类型中气候变暖对磷水平的潜在影响差异表明,亚热带季风气候的湖库更可能受气候变暖的影响趋于富营养状态.在今后研究中,建议深入开展各气候类型中区域性气候变化对湖库水环境影响的实例研究.