Is catchment productivity a useful predictor of taxa richness in lake plankton communities?

The influence of catchment variables on lake organisms is understudied. The terrestrial zone in the vicinity of lakes is, however, probably highly important for biota due to the effects on water chemistry and to various processes operating across ecosystem boundaries. We examined the relative importance of lake and catchment variables, as well as large-scale geographical factors, on the taxa richness of phyto- and zooplankton in 100 small lakes in Finland. In variation partitioning, the variability of phytoplankton richness was most strongly related to the effects of lake variables, the joint effects of lake and catchment variables, and the joint effects of all three groups of variables. Zooplankton richness, in turn, was most strongly related to the effects of lake and catchment variables and the joint effect of lake and catchment variables. The exact results of the variation partitioning depended on the catchment sizes considered in the regression models. Among lake variables, planktonic richness was strongly related to variables indicating productivity. Among catchment variables, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), indicating catchment productivity, showed a relatively strong association with planktonic richness. These results provide evidence that catchment variables such as the NDVI may be efficient predictors of planktonic richness in small lakes. It is possible that individual lakes embedded in a highly productive landscape have higher taxa richness than solitary, potentially productive lakes because of the high influx of dispersing propagules from the regional pool. We also suggest that catchment variables may respond to environmental changes at different scales than the lake variables, and explicit consideration of catchment productivity would therefore be useful when planning research and monitoring programs for freshwater organisms.     

Biogeography of bacterioplankton in lakes and streams of an Arctic tundra catchment

Bacterioplankton community composition was compared across 10 lakes and 14 streams within the catchment of Toolik Lake, a tundra lake in Arctic Alaska, during seven surveys conducted over three years using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified rDNA. Bacterioplankton communities in streams draining tundra were very different than those in streams draining lakes. Communities in streams draining lakes were similar to communities in lakes. In a connected series of lakes and streams, the stream communities changed with distance from the upstream lake and with changes in water chemistry, suggesting inoculation and dilution with bacteria from soil waters or hyporheic zones. In the same system, lakes shared similar bacterioplankton communities (78% similar) that shifted gradually down the catchment. In contrast, unconnected lakes contained somewhat different communities (67% similar). We found evidence that dispersal influences bacterioplankton communities via advection and dilution (mass effects) in streams, and via inoculation and subsequent growth in lakes. The spatial pattern of bacterioplankton community composition was strongly influenced by interactions among soil water, stream, and lake environments. Our results reveal large differences in lake-specific and stream-specific bacterial community composition over restricted spatial scales (<10 km) and suggest that geographic distance and connectivity influence the distribution of bacterioplankton communities across a landscape.     

Combination of two indication systems in pre-alpine lakes — diatom index and macrophyte index

Since the climax of eutrophication in the early 1980s mainly greater lakes have been investigated and monitored in terms of their nutrient charge. In the future there will still be a need to develop guidelines for monitoring the trophic status of smaller lakes. Four small lakes were investigated by the author in the years 1996 and 1997. In order to define the nutrient charge of those lakes more precisely, special emphasis has been put upon the two criteria diatoms and macrophytes. Eventually an evaluation of the lakes' catchment areas will also be an important component of these studies. Benthic diatoms are the main part of periphyton. As unicellular fast reproducing organisms they are excellent indicators for trophic situations in lakes. The diatom index denotes the trophic status of the littoral zone during the last few weeks before sampling. The macrophytes, however, reflect the nutrient charge over a longer period, i.e. several years. The macrophyte index is based on the fact that some species are most prevalent at certain nutrient loads. The effort to combine these two indication systems carries a high resolution of spatial nutrient changes as well as in temporally changes.     

Control concept and countermeasures for shallow lakes’ eutrophication in China

Research on lake eutrophication in China began in the early 1970s, and many lakes in China are now known to be in meso-eutrophic status. Lake eutrophication has been showing a rapidly increasing trend since 2000. Investigations show that the main reasons for lake eutrophication include a fragile lake background environment, excessive nutrient loading into lakes, excessive human activities, ecological degeneration, weak environmental protection awareness, and lax lake management. Major mechanisms resulting from lake eutrophication include nutrient recycling imbalance, major changes in water chemistry (pH, oxygen, and carbon), lake ecosystem imbalance, and algal prevalence in lakes. Some concepts for controlling eutrophication should be persistently proposed, including lake catchment control, combination of pollutant source control with ecological restoration, protection of three important aspects (terrestrial ecology, lake coast zone, and submerged plant), and combination of lake management with regulation. Measures to control lake eutrophication should include pollution source control (i.e., optimize industrial structural adjustments in the lake catchment, reduce nitrogen and phosphorus emission amounts, and control endogenous pollution) and lake ecological restoration (i.e. establish a zone-lake buffer region and lakeside zone, protect regional vegetation, utilize hydrophytes in renovation technology); countermeasures for lake management should include implementing water quality management, identifying environmental and lake water goals, legislating and formulating laws and regulations to protect lakes, strengthening publicity and the education of people, increasing public awareness through participation in systems and mechanic innovations, establishing lake region management institutions, and ensuring implementation of governance and management measures.     

长江中下游湖泊富营养化过程的湖泊沉积记录

长江中下游湖群区，历来是人类最活跃的场所，但由于近年来社会经济的迅速发展，湖泊富营养化问题日趋严重，对湖泊湿地变化与湖泊营养盐状况关系的分析是制定湖泊环境整治和生态修复的重要科学依据。长江中游湖泊——龙感湖的湖中心钻孔沉积物中硅藻组合和总磷变化记录了近百年来龙感湖富营养化过程。沉积物中湿地花粉与人湖营养盐关系以及磁化率的分析表明，流域内人类活动对湖周滩地的改造，破坏了湿地植被，助长了人湖物质的增加，湖泊营养相对富集，而流域农业化肥的使用导致了水质的进一步恶化。     

Integrating wetlands and riparian zones in river basin modelling

Wetlands, and in particular riparian wetlands, represent an interface between the catchment area and the aquatic environment. They control the exchange of water and related chemical fluxes from the upper catchment area to surface waters like streams and lakes. Their influence on water and nutrient balances has been investigated mainly at the patch scale. In this study an attempt was made (a) to integrate riparian zones and wetlands into eco-hydrological river basin modelling, and (b) to quantify the impacts of riparian wetland processes on water and nutrient fluxes in a meso-scale catchment located in the northeastern German lowland. The investigation was performed by analysing hydro-chemical field data and applying the eco-hydrological model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated Model), which was extended to reproduce the relevant water and nutrient flows and retention processes at the catchment scale in general, and in riparian zones and wetlands in particular. The main extensions introduced in the model were: (1) implementation of daily groundwater table dynamics at the hydrotope level, (2) implementation of water and nutrient uptake by plants from groundwater in riparian zones and wetlands, and (3) assessment of nutrient retention in groundwater and interflow. The simulation results indicate that wetlands, though they represent relatively small parts of the total catchment area, may have a significant impact on the overall water and nutrient balances of the catchment. The uncertainty of the simulation results is considerably high, with the main sources of uncertainty being the model parameters representing the geo-hydrology and the input data for land use management.     

Tracking the metal distribution in the tropical Valencia lake catchment: Soil, rivers and lake

In tropical areas, the relations between soil, rivers, and lakes are poorly understood as regard to the physicochemical transformation that occurs when solid materials are transferred among them. In order to ascertain the natural dynamics of Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Co, as well as the perturbations by human activity, soils and sediments from a tropical catchment were studied. To accomplish the above mentioned objective, the Valencia Lake catchment was subdivided into three systems, i.e. soils, rivers and lakes. Original data and those previously published by Mogolló;n and Bifano (1994), and Mogolló;n et al. (1995, 1996) were used to establish the numerical relation between the average concentration in the three systems. The percentage labile fraction and metal distribution in different particle size fractions were studied in selected samples. A total of 410 samples was analysed.Lithology and topography are the main factors that differentiate the physicochemical characteristics of soils and sediments. Processes coupled with solid material transport from the upland to lowland area cause the increase of the HNO₃ (1M) extractable metal concentration, and of the percentage labile fraction, metal redistribution towards fine particle fraction. In spite of the tropical climate, the pedogenesis of exposed sediments and the transport along the river courses, have very low influence. Most of the transformations seem to occur during the soils – river transfer of materials. The carbonate precipitation in the lake causes further increase of metal concentration and the percentage labile fraction. The pollutant input increases metal concentration, the percentage labile fraction and the trend of accumulation toward fine particles.     

雷州桉树人工林小集水区地形分析与静态水文学模拟

利用小集水区生态水文学模型-Topog模型对雷州半岛桉树人工林纪家示范小集水区进行了地形分析和静态水文学模拟。地形分析表明，该集水区地表较为平坦，集水区总面积为0．63km^2，夏季、冬季与春（秋）分平均太阳辐射值分别为44MJ.m^-2．d^-1、25MJ.m^-2．d^-1和34MJ.m^-2．d^-1。在考虑太阳辐射影响与不考虑太阳辐影响两种情况下进行了集水区土壤含水量指数（WI）静态模拟。设定不同的静态壤中流参数值，Topog模型模拟结果表明，静态壤中流越大，在集水区内高WI的分布范围越大，也即土壤含水量越高。在考虑太阳辐射影响的条件下，分别设置不同的土壤导水率（T）、地表阴蔽系数（Es）、平均降雨最（R）进行了模拟。模拟结果表明，WI分布依各参数的不同而变化。T越大，在集水区内的WI重新分布越快；T越小，在集水区内WI趋向于平均分布。Es越大，集水区土壤所保持的含水量越高。集水区WI随R增大而有升高趋势。     

Watershed land use effects on lake water quality in Denmark

Mitigating nutrient losses from anthropogenic nonpoint sources is today of particular importance for improving the water quality of numerous freshwater lakes worldwide. Several empirical relationships between land use and in-lake water quality variables have been developed, but they are often weak, which can in part be attributed to lack of detailed information about land use activities or point sources. We examined a comprehensive data set comprising land use data, point-source information, and in-lake water quality for 414 Danish lakes. By excluding point-source-influenced lakes (n = 210), the strength in relationship (R2) between in-lake total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations and the proportion of agricultural land use in the watershed increased markedly, from 10-12% to 39-42% for deep lakes and from 10-12% to 21-23% for shallow lakes, with the highest increase for TN. Relationships between TP and agricultural land use were even stronger for lakes with rivers in their watershed (55%) compared to lakes without (28%), indicating that rivers mediate a stronger linkage between landscape activity and lake water quality by providing a "delivery" mechanism for excess nutrients in the watershed. When examining the effect of different near-freshwater land zones in contrast to the entire watershed, relationships generally improved with size of zone (25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 m from the edge of lake and streams) but were by far strongest using the entire watershed. The proportion of agricultural land use in the entire watershed was best in explaining lake water quality, both relative to estimated nutrient surplus at agricultural field level and near-lake land use, which somewhat contrasts typical strategies of management policies that mainly target agricultural nutrient applications and implementation of near-water buffer zones. This study suggests that transport mechanisms within the whole catchment are important for the nutrient export to lakes. Hence, the whole watershed should be considered when managing nutrient loadings to lakes, and future policies should ideally target measures that reduce the proportion of cultivated land in the watershed to successfully improve lake water quality.     

Eco-hydrological modelling in a highly regulated lowland catchment to find measures for improving water quality

Water quality modelling in the meso-scale Rhin catchment in the German federal state Brandenburg was done (1) to answer some specific questions concerning identification of point and diffuse sources of nutrient pollution in the catchment, (2) to assess the influences of possible climate and land use changes on water quantity and quality and (3) to evaluate potential measures to be done in order to achieve a “good ecological status” of the river and its lakes as required by the Water Framework Directive (WFD).The Rhin catchment is a typical highly regulated lowland river basin in Northern Germany. The regulations complicate water quantity and quality modelling in the catchment. The research was done by using the eco-hydrological model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated Model), which simulates water and nutrient fluxes in soil and vegetation, as well as transport of water and nutrients to and within the river network. The modelling period was from 1981 until 2005. After calibrating the hydrological processes at different gauges within the basin with satisfactory results, water quality (nitrogen and phosphorus) modelling was done taking into account the emissions of different point sources (sewage treatment plants, etc.) and identifying the amount of diffuse pollution caused mainly by agriculture.For suggesting some feasible measures to improve water quality and to reduce diffuse pollution considering possible climate and land use changes, different reasonable scenarios were applied in consultation with the Environmental Agency of Brandenburg (LUA). The study revealed that the amount of water discharge has significant influence on the concentration of nutrients in the river network, and that nitrogen pollution, caused mainly by diffuse sources, could be notably reduced by application of agricultural measures, whereas the pollution by phosphorus could be diminished most effectively by the reduction of point source emissions.     

The Effects of Liming On Soil Chemistry at Loch Fleet,Scotland

An experiment to investigate how the water quality of acid lakes can be improved by liming the surrounding catchment was begun at Loch Fleet, Scotland in 1984. the effects on the soils of three sectors of the catchment where limestone was added in 1986 are reported here, following analysis of soils sampled in 1987, 1988 and 1991. the effect of the lime on soil chemistry was still evident in 1991, with about 15% of free lime remaining in the hydrochemical reaction zone of sectors IV and VI and nearly 50% in sector VII. However, this free lime appeared to be dissolving too slowly to maintain large amounts of exchangeable calcium in the soils, indicating that the treatment is starting to become less effective. the fall in the mean exchangeable calcium in the reaction zone between 1988 and 1991 was mirrored by a drop in mean soil pH over the 5 years post-liming from 6.1 to 5.6 on sector IV and from 5.9 to 5.4 on sector VI, whereas mean pH remained constant at about 6.0 in the limed areas of sector VII. Using soil data to predict longevity suggests that the exchangeable calcium remaining on the catchment at the end of 1991 will maintain target water quality in the loch until sometime during 1994. the soil pH is likely to fall to between 5.2 and 5.3 by this time. If the region of hydrochemical reaction is assumed to extend to a depth of 20 cm rather than 5 cm, target water quality is predicted to be maintained until the end of 1995. When the free lime remaining on the catchment is included as a source of acid neutralising capacity, calculations show that treatment may remain effective until around the year 2000.     

The Effects of Liming On Soil Chemistry at Loch Fleet, Scotland

An experiment to investigate how the water quality of acid lakes can be improved by liming the surrounding catchment was begun at Loch Fleet, Scotland in 1984. the effects on the soils of three sectors of the catchment where limestone was added in 1986 are reported here, following analysis of soils sampled in 1987, 1988 and 1991. the effect of the lime on soil chemistry was still evident in 1991, with about 15% of free lime remaining in the hydrochemical reaction zone of sectors IV and VI and nearly 50% in sector VII. However, this free lime appeared to be dissolving too slowly to maintain large amounts of exchangeable calcium in the soils, indicating that the treatment is starting to become less effective. the fall in the mean exchangeable calcium in the reaction zone between 1988 and 1991 was mirrored by a drop in mean soil pH over the 5 years post-liming from 6.1 to 5.6 on sector IV and from 5.9 to 5.4 on sector VI, whereas mean pH remained constant at about 6.0 in the limed areas of sector VII. Using soil data to predict longevity suggests that the exchangeable calcium remaining on the catchment at the end of 1991 will maintain target water quality in the loch until sometime during 1994. the soil pH is likely to fall to between 5.2 and 5.3 by this time. If the region of hydrochemical reaction is assumed to extend to a depth of 20 cm rather than 5 cm, target water quality is predicted to be maintained until the end of 1995. When the free lime remaining on the catchment is included as a source of acid neutralising capacity, calculations show that treatment may remain effective until around the year 2000.     

Integrated model projections of climate change impacts on a North American lake

Climate change is likely to impact terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems via numerous physical and biological mechanisms. This study outlines a framework for projecting potential impacts of climate change on lakes using linked environmental models. Impacts of climate drivers on catchment hydrology and thermal balance in Onondaga Lake (New York State) are simulated using mechanistic models HSPF and UFILS4. Outputs from these models are fed into a lake ecosystem model, developed in AQUATOX. Watershed simulations project increases in the magnitude of peak flows and consequent increases in catchment nutrient export as the magnitude of extreme precipitation events increases. This occurs concurrently with a decrease in annual stream discharge as a result of increased evapotranspiration. Simulated lake water temperatures increase by as much as 5 °C during the 2040-2069 time period, accompanied by a prolonging of the duration of summer stratification. Projected changes include shifts in the timing of nutrient cycling between lake sediments and water column. Plankton taxa projected to thrive under climate change include green algae and Bosmina longirostris. Responses for species at higher trophic levels are mixed. Benthic macroinvertebrates may either prosper (zebra mussels) or decline (chironomids), while fish (e.g., gizzard shad) exhibit high seasonal variability without any clear trend.     

A review of source tracking techniques for fine sediment within a catchment

Excessive transport of fine sediment, and its associated pollutants, can cause detrimental impacts in aquatic environments. It is therefore important to perform accurate sediment source apportionment to identify hot spots of soil erosion. Various tracers have been adopted, often in combination, to identify sediment source type and its spatial origin; these include fallout radionuclides, geochemical tracers, mineral magnetic properties and bulk and compound-specific stable isotopes. In this review, the applicability of these techniques to particular settings and their advantages and limitations are reviewed. By synthesizing existing approaches, that make use of multiple tracers in combination with measured changes of channel geomorphological attributes, an integrated analysis of tracer profiles in deposited sediments in lakes and reservoirs can be made. Through a multi-scale approach for fine sediment tracking, temporal changes in soil erosion and sediment load can be reconstructed and the consequences of changing catchment practices evaluated. We recommend that long-term, as well as short-term, monitoring of riverine fine sediment and corresponding surface and subsurface sources at nested sites within a catchment are essential. Such monitoring will inform the development and validation of models for predicting dynamics of fine sediment transport as a function of hydro-climatic and geomorphological controls. We highlight that the need for monitoring is particularly important for hilly catchments with complex and changing land use. We recommend that research should be prioritized for sloping farmland-dominated catchments.     

An Evaluation of Restoration Efforts in Fishless Lakes Stocked with Exotic Trout

Abstract: Detrimental effects of introduced fishes on native amphibian populations have prompted removal of introduced cutthroat ( Oncorhynchus clarki ), rainbow ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), and brook trout (  Salvelinus fontinalis ) from naturally fishless lakes at Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington ( U.S.A.). Using paleolimnological indicators (diatoms, invertebrates, and sediment characteristics) in eight 480-year-old sediment cores from eight lakes, we (1) derived estimates of baseline environmental conditions and natural variation, (2) assessed the effects of stocking naturally fishless lakes, and (3) determined whether lakes returned to predisturbance conditions after fish removal (restoration). Diatom floras were relatively stable between 315 and 90 years before present in all lakes; we used this time period to define lake-specific "baseline" conditions. Dissimilarity analyses of diatoms revealed sustained, dramatic changes in diatom floras that occurred approximately 80 years ago (when fish were introduced) in four of five stocked lakes, whereas the diatom floras in two unstocked lakes had not changed significantly in the last 315 years. Diatoms were not preserved in an eighth lake. State changes also occurred in two lakes over 200 years before European settlement of the Pacific Northwest. Preserved invertebrate densities fluctuated dramatically over time in all cores, providing a poor reference for assessing the effects of fishes. Nevertheless, fish-invertebrate interactions have been demonstrated in other paleolimnological studies and may be useful for lower-elevation or more productive lakes. Because diatom communities have not returned to predisturbance assemblages in restored lakes, even 20–30 years after fish removal, we conclude that Mt. Rainier lakes were not successfully restored by the removal of fishes.     

内蒙古皇甫川五分地沟小流域土地覆盖空间格局特征及其持续性分析

基于1979、1987和2002年3个时期的土地覆盖类型图,从斑块面积、形状、空间关系3方面着手,利用斑块面积百分比、面积变异系数、分维数3个景观格局指数对内蒙古皇甫川五分地沟小流域的土地覆盖格局及变化特征进行研究;并以流域为尺度,测算土地覆盖破碎度、多样性指数、分维数、合理性指数4个指标随时间变化的持续性。结果表明:研究区土地覆盖现状呈现各类型相对较均衡的镶嵌状分布格局,土地覆盖类型较稳定,斑块形状较简单,受人类干扰较大。土地覆盖特征指数的持续性分析结果与对应的指标分析结果相吻合。     

内蒙古皇甫川五分地沟小流域土地覆盖空间格局特征及其持续性分析

基于1979、1987和2002年3个时期的土地覆盖类型图，从斑块面积、形状、空间关系3方面着手。利用斑块面积百分比、面积变异系数、分维数3个景观格局指数对内蒙古皇甫川五分地沟小流域的土地覆盖格局及变化特征进行研究；并以流域为尺度，测算土地覆盖破碎度、多样性指数、分维数、合理性指数4个指标随时间变化的持续性。结果表明：研究区土地覆盖现状呈现各类型相对较均衡的镶嵌状分布格局，土地覆盖类型较稳定，斑块形状较简单，受人类干扰较大。土地覆盖特征指数的持续性分析结果与对应的指标分析结果相吻合。     

Effects of land use on water quality of two high-altitude lakes and catchments in Yunnan Province,China

SUMMARY

Reclaiming farmland from lakes in China in the 1950s damaged the water quality of many lakes. Tremendous efforts have been made since the late 1990s to restore vegetation around the damaged lakes. This paper examines water quality of Fuxian and Qilu Lakes and land-use characteristics within the two catchments in the high-altitude area of Yunnan Province, China. Landsat TM data acquired in 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2005 were used to extract land use and land cover (LULC) information. Measurements of five water quality indices (WQIs), BOD, COD, pH, TN and TP, for the same period of time were examined. The results showed that the area of residential and forest/shrub increased, whereas that of cropland and barren land decreased from 1989 to 2005 in both catchments. Qilu Lake was much more polluted than Fuxian Lake, and pollution worsened over time for both lakes. The differences in water quality between the two lakes were caused by differences in LULC composition and continued degradation in water quality was caused by intensive farming and urban sprawl. Unless the landscape is converted back to its pre-1950 composition and structure, water quality in both lakes cannot be significantly improved and will continue to threaten sustainable development in the region.     

Hierarchical regulation of nitrogen export from urban catchments: interactions of storms and landscapes.

In urban catchments of arid central Arizona, we investigate how the export of mineral and organic nitrogen (N) in storm runoff is regulated by interactions between local landscape characteristics and broader scale storm features. First, we test whether N export is more a function of (1) processes that affect N concentration in runoff or (2) the propensity of the catchment to convey rainfall as runoff. With data pooled across catchments, the mass of N in export (load) is determined by processes regulating runoff N concentration. There are exceptions when catchments are examined individually, where N load from some catchments is determined by the hydrologic responsiveness of the catchment. Second, we investigate the relationship between N export and catchment features. Loads per catchment area were greater from more impervious catchments, probably because impervious catchments held more N in a mobilizable phase and conveyed more rainfall as overland flow. Loads per area were lower from larger catchments, possibly owing to more N-retention hot spots in larger catchments. Catchments with the greatest N exports were those with commercial land use, and loads decreased as development became less prevalent or as residential replaced industrial land use. Third, we investigated how catchment features moderated direct responses of N export to storms. Export was less correlated with storm features in catchments that were larger, more pervious, and less industrial. Results support an "N build and flush" hypothesis, which purports that there is little biotic processing of N deposited to arid, urban surfaces with little organic matter. The rate and duration of deposition determine the size of the mobile N pool. Any amount of rainfall capable of generating overland flow would entrain nearly all mobilizable N and export it from the catchment. Nonetheless, these results suggest that, even with daunting seasonal and interannual variability in storm conditions, material export can be reduced by managing intrinsic catchment features.