Phyto- and Zooplankton Composition and Some Ecological Observations on a Man-made Lake in Wadi el Majanin,Libya

The small eutrophic man-made lake in Wadi el Majanin, Libya has a well-buffered hydrogen-carbonate (98 … 160 mg/l CaCO₃) system (pH = 7 … 7.8) and a poor Secchi visibility (21 … 35 cm). Conductivity data (272 … 480 μS/cm) fit the water-body in class 2 (‘freshwater’ range) of Beadle. The annual surface water temperature cycle (before noon readings) showed strong seasonal variations from 12 °C in Jan. and Feb. 1986 to 28.5 °C in June, 1987. The lake sustains a good crop of plankton populations. The main phytoplankton were species of Pediastrum, Scenedesmus, Navicula, Amphora, Synedra, Gomphonema, Oscillatoria, Gomphosphaeria and from zooplankton these were Keratella, Polyarthra, Brachionus, Moina, Acanthocyclops and nauplii of copepods. The presence of euglenoids supports the enriched water status of the ecosystem. Planktonic algal flora appeared closer to the eutrophic chlorococcales-diatom type (Hutchinson). Rotifers dominated the zooplankton community. A well established macrophytic vegetation was lacking.