Effects of Nitrate Nitrogen Additions on Physical, Chemical and Biological Parameters in Lake Enclosures

The effects of nitrate additions on the physics, chemistry and biology of lake water were studied in 5 × 10 m polyethylene enclosures installed in Lake Kastoria, a shallow eutrophic lake in Northern Greece. The water physics, chemistry, chlorophyll a and nitrogenase activity were monitored from July 10 till October 17 1985 at 2 week intervals. The experiment included a control enclosure.

Water confinement in the control enclosure resulted in ammonia accumulation, a slight decrease in chlorophyll a, a significant reduction of nitrogenase activity and an increase in phosphorus release from the sediments at the end of the experimental period.

The addition of KNO₃ resulted in higher than the control accumulation of NH₃, chlorophyll reduction, increase in water transparency and reduction of nitrogenase activity. Large losses of nitrogen added were measured which were attributed to denitrification, organic matter sedimentation and ammonia volatilization. Anaerobic but not aerobic phosphorus release from sediments was inhibited at the end of the period. The reduction of nitrogenase activity and of chlorophyll a concentration are attributed to changes in phytoplankton composition from blue-greens to small-sized species grazed by zooplankters.