Marine lakes of karst islands in Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)

Ha Long Bay in North Vietnam is characterized by karst towers and bigger islands totalling more than 3000 isles. Karst processes carved hundreds of caves out of the limestone and contributed to the formation of many enclosed and semi-enclosed saltwater lakes. Here, we report the results of a general survey of several lakes and the first data on the Hang Du I lake, a small basin devoid of any apparent communication with the surrounding sea. Hang Du I is characterized by the presence of Rhizostomeae, genus Mastigias, suggesting strong similarities with the famous lakes described from the archipelago of Palau. Among the benthic organisms sponges are the most important group. Temperature and abundance of the monsoon rains are the main factors influencing remarkable seasonal variations in physical-chemical parameters and the community structure of the lake. A thermal crisis with water temperatures up to 36 °C was recorded in September 2003. In this period, usually abundant medusae and sea anemones totally disappeared. Sponge populations showed fast growth rates in winter and spring and a partial degeneration to face the harsh conditions of the summer season. When isolated from the surrounding marine environment, the saltwater lakes share the condition of oceanic islands, representing spots of habitats surrounded by a completely different environment. The Ha Long Bay marine lakes are not easy to access, being surrounded by tropical forest, but local people usually exploit them for both fishery and oyster harvesting. There is an urgent need to develop measures of protection for these endangered and unique environments, natural laboratories that facilitate the study of evolution of marine organisms, where biodiversity has been until now totally unexplored.     

Agricultural Lakes in Finland: Current Water Quality and Trends

Agriculture is the largest source of nutrients into surface waters in Finland, and yet relatively little is known about the actual impact of the agricultural load on the state of lakes. We analysed the water quality data of 20 Finnish agricultural lakes and found that they had higher levels of nutrients, chlorophyll a and turbidity than did the other types of lakes (e.g. those receiving point-source load) in the national monitoring network (the Finnish Eurowaternet). Currently, six of the agricultural lakes can be classified as eutrophic and 14 as hypertrophic. Trend analysis (based on Kendall's tau-b) indicated that during 1976–2002 the water quality of the lakes either remained constant or showed signs of increasing eutrophication and elevated turbidity. Decreasing nutrient concentrations were found only in one intensively restored lake. In none of the lakes had the chlorophyll a concentration decreased. The results of the trend analysis are compatible with the recent finding that, despite vigorous efforts, the nutrient load from agriculture has not declined in Finland. Recovery of the most eutrophied agricultural lakes would call for a drastic reduction in the external nutrient load, possibly supplemented with in-lake restoration.     

Grouping Lakes for Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring: The Roles of Regionalization and Spatial Scale

Regionalization frameworks cluster geographic data to create contiguous regions of similar climate, geology and hydrology by delineating land into discrete regions, such as ecoregions or watersheds, often at several spatial scales. Although most regionalization schemes were not originally designed for aquatic ecosystem classification or management, they are often used for such purposes, with surprisingly few explicit tests of the relative ability of different regionalization frameworks to group lakes for water quality monitoring and assessment. We examined which of 11 different lake grouping schemes at two spatial scales best captures the maximum amount of variation in water quality among regions for total nutrients, water clarity, chlorophyll, overall trophic state, and alkalinity in 479 lakes in Michigan (USA). We conducted analyses on two data sets: one that included all lakes and one that included only minimally disturbed lakes. Using hierarchical linear models that partitioned total variance into within-region and among-region components, we found that ecological drainage units and 8-digit hydrologic units most consistently captured among-region heterogeneity at their respective spatial scales using all lakes (variation among lake groups = 3% to 50% and 12% to 52%, respectively). However, regionalization schemes capture less among-region variance for minimally disturbed lakes. Diagnostics of spatial autocorrelation provided insight into the relative performance of regionalization frameworks but also demonstrated that region size is only partly responsible for capturing variation among lakes. These results suggest that regionalization schemes can provide useful frameworks for lake water quality assessment and monitoring but that we must identify the appropriate spatial scale for the questions being asked, the type of management applied, and the metrics being assessed.     

围湖垦殖对湖泊调蓄功能的累加效应分析

计算了长湖、洪湖在围垦前后湖泊容量在水位变化时的容量增长率和四个涝灾年份降雨条件下汛期湖泊水位逐日增加值，对四湖流域尚存的18个湖泊的围垦强度与容量损失情况进行了分析。结果发现，围垦后的长湖容量平均增长率、相对增长率、最大增长率分别从1.8436、0.1834、2.4979(10^8m^3/m）减少到了1.4321,0.1802,1.7569(10^8m^3/m0，洪湖容量平均增长率、相对增长率、最大增长率分别从5.8506、0.3000、6.5095(10^8m^3/m）减少到了3.3970、0.2900、3.4440(10^8m^3/m），围垦导致的湖泊容量损失随着水位上升呈加速增加趋势，随着围垦强度的增加呈加速增加趋势，围垦后这两个湖泊在同样降雨条件下的水位逐日增加值都有不同程度的增加且这种增加值随着雨量和围垦强度的增加而增加。18个湖泊容量变化率随着围垦强度的增加而增加且在围垦强度为40％左右时表现出门槛效应。表明围湖垦残对湖泊调蓄功能的影响具有明显的累加效应。从累加效应的角度对四湖流域围湖垦残的合理性和退田还湖问题进行了讨论。     

First Step for an Ecological Risk Assessment to Evaluate the Impact of Diffuse Pollution in Lake Vela (Portugal)

Lake Vela, located in the Portuguese littoral-centre, is a temperate shallow lake exhibiting a high trophic status. This aquatic ecosystem has been potentially exposed to contamination generated by agricultural and livestock activities held in their drainage basin, which seriously compromise their health. This work summarizes some background information and presents the problem formulation step of the ERA. Therefore, it evaluates the characteristics of the stressor(s), describes the ecological system and receptors and suggests a conceptual model, which predicts the potential exposure pathways, relating suspected sources to the defined endpoints. This introductory step also described an analysis plan on the entire study, which includes a delineation of the assessment design, data needs, measures, and methods for conducting the analysis phase of the risk assessment process.     

城市浅水湖泊治理技术初探

随着生态文明建设的发展,城市浅水湖泊在城市环境中的角色日益重要,环境治理需求日益迫切.针对城市浅水湖泊的污染特征进行了概括总结,并对污染来源进行了分析.根据污染特征及因素针对性提出了“外源性污染、内源性污染控制阶段-水体水质改善与生态系统恢复阶段-长效管理阶段”三个阶段的治理思路,并就各阶段常用的治理技术进行了简单介绍,作为城市浅水湖泊治理工作的参考.     

长江中下游湖区浮游植物初级生产力估算

长江中下游是我国淡水湖泊最集中的区域，也是富营养化较为严重的地区。作为湖泊系统初级生产力的主要影响因子氮、磷等营养元素增加，会显著影响湖泊系统的初级生产力。近几十年来越来越多的学者运用模型来模拟湖泊等水体的初级生产力。而VGPM模型和Talling模型综合考虑了水温、光合有效辐射、湖泊叶绿素浓度和真光层深度等因素，能较准确地模拟水柱初级生产力。1987~1991年、2001～2005年长江中下游湖区湖水中TP浓度分别为0059～0105和0070~0167 mg/L，湖泊TP浓度升高，导致湖泊藻类初级生产力增大。15 a间湖区的初级生产力由0139～0381 gC/(m2〖DK〗·d)上升到0128～0504 gC/(m2〖DK〗·d)。在VGPM模型1987～1991年、2001～2005年湖区固碳量由3 32125 tC/d上升到3 76502 tC/d，增加1336%；在Talling模型中湖区固碳量由2 39964 tC/d上升到3 27242 tC/d，增加3637%     

Current Status of Mathematical Models for Population Dynamics of Prymnesium parvum in a Texas Reservoir1

Grover, James P., Jason W. Baker, Daniel L. Roelke, and Bryan W. Brooks, 2010. Current Status of Mathematical Models for Population Dynamics of Prymnesium parvum in a Texas Reservoir. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(1):92-107. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00393.x Abstract: Blooms of the harmful alga Prymnesium parvum have apparently increased in frequency in inland waters of the United States, especially in western Texas. A suite of mathematical models was developed based on a chemostat (or continuously stirred tank reactor) framework, and calibrated with data from Lake Granbury, Texas. Inputs included data on flows, salinity, irradiance, temperature, zooplankton grazing, and nutrients. Parameterization incorporated recent laboratory studies relating the specific growth rate of P. parvum to such factors. Models differed in the number of algal populations competing with P. parvum, and whether competition occurred only by consumption of shared nutrients, or additionally through production of an allelopathic chemical by one of the populations, parameterized as cyanobacteria. Uncalibrated models did not reproduce the observed seasonal dynamics of P. parvum in Lake Granbury, which displayed a maximum population in late February during a prolonged bloom in cooler weather, and reduced abundance in summer. Sensitivity analyses suggested two modifications leading to predictions that better resembled observations. The first modification greatly reduces the optimal temperature for growth of P. parvum, an approach that disagrees with laboratory experiments indicating a strong potential for growth at temperatures above 20°C. The second modification increases the growth rate of P. parvum at all temperatures, in models including cyanobacterial allelopathy. Despite these adjustments, calibrated models did not faithfully simulate all features of the seasonal dynamics of P. parvum.     

Levels and congener profiles of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Zebra mussels (D. polymorpha) from Lake Maggiore (Italy)

Several congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were monitored in 14 different sampling stations of Lake Maggiore, the second largest Italian lake in regard to surface, volume and average depth, using the sentinel-organism Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha). Results revealed a moderate contamination with summation operatorPBDE levels (BDE-17, -28, -47, -66, -71, -85, -99, -100, -138, -153, -154, -183, -190 and -209) ranging from 40 to 447ngg(-1) lipid weight which are similar to those found in environments polluted by deposition or atmospheric transport. The general order of decreasing congener contribution to the total load was BDE-47>-99>-100>-209, which closely reflected patterns observed in mussels collected in freshwater ecosystems worldwide.     

Managing mercury in the great lakes: an analytical review of abatement policies

Mercury, a toxic metal known to have several deleterious affects on human health, has been one of the principal contaminants of concern in the Great Lakes basin. There are numerous anthropogenic sources of mercury to the Great Lakes area. Combustion of coal, smelting of non ferrous metals, and incineration of municipal and medical waste are major sources of mercury emissions in the region. In addition to North American anthropogenic emissions, global atmospheric emissions also significantly contribute to the deposition of mercury in the Great Lakes basin. Both the USA and Canada have agreed to reduce human exposure to mercury in the Great Lakes basin and have significantly curtailed mercury load to this region through individual and joint efforts. However, many important mercury sources, such as coal-fired power plants, still exist in the vicinity of the Great Lakes. More serious actions to drastically reduce mercury sources by employing alternative energy sources, restricting mercury trade and banning various mercury containing consumer products, such as dental amalgam are as essential as cleaning up the historical deposits of mercury in the basin. A strong political will and mass momentum are crucial for efficient mercury management. International cooperation is equally important. In the present paper, we have analyzed existing policies in respective jurisdictions to reduce mercury concentration in the Great Lakes environment. A brief review of the sources, occurrence in the Great Lakes, and the health effects of mercury is also included.