Phosphorus, Nitrogen, and Carbon Dynamics of Experimental Lake 303 during Recovery from Eutrophication

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. N. Levine ◽  
D. W. Schindler
Keyword(s):  
Organic Nitrogen ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
First Year ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Experimental Lakes Area ◽  
Total Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Cycling Of Nutrients

Little is known about the recovery of lakes from eutrophication, especially as it effects the cycling of nutrients other than phosphorus. We fertilized a naturally oligotrophic lake (Lake 303) in the Experimental Lakes Area, northwestern Ontario, with nitrogen and phosphorus over two summers and examined the subsequent recovery using mass balance and large in situ mesocosms. While large amounts of ammonium and smaller amounts of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were released from the lake's aerobic sediments during the first year of recovery, phosphorus input from the sediments was not detectable during the same period. Chlorophyll a concentration closely tracked total phosphorus concentration, and both returned to prefertilization levels within 1 yr. In contrast, ammonium, nitrate, DIC, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) needed almost 2 yr to reach baseline levels, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) even longer. The results show that different elements may recover at different rates and that the release of stored pools of nitrogen and carbon in the sediments plays a major role in delaying the recovery of these elements.

Production of Epilithiphyton in Two Lakes of the Experimental Lakes Area, Northwestern Ontario

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1511-1524 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Schindler ◽  
V. E. Frost ◽  
R. V. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Scintillation ◽  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Seasonal Effects ◽  
Algal Flora ◽  
Experimental Lakes Area ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
Natural Lakes ◽  
Northwestern Ontario

Two new techniques for measuring photosynthesis by benthic algal flora in waters low in dissolved inorganic carbon are described. The first uses gas chromatography to measure changes in DIC in incubation chambers directly. The second is a variation of the usual 14C procedure, in which disappearance of 14C from the water is measured by liquid scintillation instead of uptake of 14C by the algae. This procedure is simpler than measuring the uptake of 14C, because digestion and/or combustion of samples is not necessary. Results are compared with the commonly employed 14C uptake and O2 release techniques.Tests showed that heterogeneity of substrate was the major source of variation in in situ results, being large enough to make interpretation of seasonal effects and other causal factors extremely difficult.Annual production by epilithiphyton in two natural lakes in the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) was 5.19 g C and 5.18 g C/m2 of substrate annually for lakes 239 and 240, respectively. These are the lowest values recorded for freshwater lakes at temperate latitudes.Because DIC and O2 concentrations could be measured simultaneously, it was possible to calculate photosynthetic quotients on several dates. These were extremely high, averaging 2.6 for the summer of 1971.

Distributions of Ferrous Iron and Sulfide in an Anoxic Hypolimnion

1984 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 286-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Pore Water ◽  
Solubility Product ◽  
Iron Sulfide ◽  
Water Flux ◽  
Sediment Pore Water ◽  
Experimental Lakes Area ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Anoxic Hypolimnion ◽  
Decomposition Of Organic Matter

In the anoxic hypolimnion of Lake 227, Experimental Lakes Area, northwestern Ontario, ΣH2S exhibits a mid-depth maximum, while Fe2+ increases with depth. At the mid-depth ΣH2S maximum and below, saturation with respect to amorphous FeS is reached, and the concentration of ΣH2S is limited by the high Fe2+ concentrations, in accord with the FeS solubility product. Values for pKsp[Formula: see text] for FeS determined from the ΣH2S maximum and below averaged 3.16 in 1979 and agree well with other in situ and laboratory measurements. In the top 10 cm of sediment, pore water ΣH2S and Fe2+ are in equilibrium with amorphous FeS. Analyses of cores confirms the existence of an iron sulfide phase. Fe2+, which is produced in the pore water from the decomposition of organic matter, increases to concentrations at which siderite may form, although the presence of siderite has not been verified. Comparison of calculated pore water fluxes of Fe2+ with the observed increase of Fe2+ in the anoxic hypolimnion reveals that about 90% of the observed flux originates at the sediment–water interface, while the remainder is derived from pore water flux.

scholarly journals A novel submerged Rotala rotundifolia, its growth characteristics and remediation potential for eutrophic waters

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaoguang Gu ◽  
Feifei Li ◽  
Jibo Xiao ◽  
Shuyi Chu ◽  
Shuang Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Total Phosphorus ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Ammonium Nitrogen ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Overlying Water ◽  
Total Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Submerged Aquatic Plant ◽  
Nitrogen Contents

Abstract The vegetative growth and remediation potential of Rotala rotundifolia, a novel submerged aquatic plant, for eutrophic waters were investigated on different sediments, and under a range of nitrogen concentrations. Rotala Rotundifolia grew better on silt than on sand and gravel in terms of plant height, tiller number and biomass accumulation. Percent increment of biomass was enhanced at low water nitrogen (ammonium nitrogen concentration ≤10 mg/L). The maximum total nitrogen and total phosphorus removals in the overlying water were between 54% to 66% and 42% to 57%, respectively. Nitrogen contents in the sediments increased with increasing water nitrogen levels, whereas, nitrogen contents in the plant tissues showed no apparent regularity, and the greatest value was obtained at ammonium nitrogen concentration 15 mg/L. Both phosphorus contents in the sediments and tissues of plants were not affected significantly by additional nitrogen supply. Direct nitrogen uptake by plants was in the range of 16% to 39% when total phosphorus concentration was 1.0 mg/L. These results suggested that Rotala Rotundifolia can be used to effectively remove nitrogen and phosphorus in eutrophic waters.

Ecological effects of blooms of filamentous green algae in the littoral zone of an acid lake

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 2264-2275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Turner ◽  
Bruce E. Townsend ◽  
Gordon G. C. Robinson ◽  
Brenda J. Hann ◽  
John A. Amaral
Keyword(s):  
Green Algae ◽  
Littoral Zone ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Ecological Effects ◽  
Experimental Lakes Area ◽  
Filamentous Green Algae ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Lake Bottom ◽  
Chemical Cycling ◽  
Physical Features

Ecological effects of blooms of filamentous green algae (FGA) were studied in an experimentally acidified lake (pH 4.5) at the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Blooms of FGA influenced the energy balance, chemical cycling, physical features, and biological conditions in the littoral zone. Photosynthetic capacity of the FGA, dominated by Zygogonium, was greater than that of acidified epilithon, the normally dominant littoral algal association, partially offsetting acidification-induced oligotrophication in the littoral zone. Intra- and inter-annual variability of FGA growth was large, however, so that FGA were an unreliable energy source for the littoral food web. Nutrient uptake varied with the degree of FGA growth; e.g., FGA were occasionally the largest phosphorus pool in the epilimnion. Nitrogen dynamics of FGA varied seasonally causing acidification in spring and summer, and alkalinization in fall. The blooms also affected epilimnetic cycling of dissolved inorganic carbon. Peak blooms prevented as much as 90% of the light from reaching the lake bottom. Local depletions of oxygen resulting from FGA decomposition also posed potential risks for animals using the FGA as habitat.

Preliminary Chemical Characterization of Waters in the Experimental Lakes Area, Northwestern Ontario

1971 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. J. Armstrong ◽  
D. W. Schindler
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Characterization ◽  
Specific Conductance ◽  
Canadian Shield ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Experimental Lakes Area ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Dissolved Phosphorus ◽  
Dissolved Nitrogen ◽  
Total Dissolved Nitrogen ◽  
Northwestern Ontario

Water analyses in 1968 and 1969 from 40 small lakes within a small area of the Canadian Shield in northwestern Ontario gave mean values for Ca, Na, Mg, and K of 1.6, 0.9, 0.9, and 0.4 mg/liter with Ca > Na > Mg > K on a molar basis. HCO3, SO4, and Cl (on a smaller number of samples) were 4.1, 3.0, and 1.4 mg/liter. Total CO2 was variable in the range 0.3–12.0 mg/liter. Specific conductance was in the range 10–35 μmho/cm at 25 C and pH 5.4–7.5. Color was < 5–150 Hazen units, and plant pigments (as chlorophyll a) < 1–21 μg/liter. Total dissolved nitrogen was in the range 110–300 mg N/liter and total dissolved phosphorus 3–20 μg P/liter. NO3-N and PO4-P were often undetectable in summer, and reached winter maxima around 100 and 10 μg/liter.Total dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus contents of five lakes were computed at the beginning and end of periods of several weeks during summer stagnation. Changes were negligibly small in three of the deeper lakes, but the two shallowest showed increases of 0.22 and 0.62 g N/m2 and 0.03 and 0.13 g P/m2. Analyses of precipitation and stream waters were used, with stream flow rates, to calculate input and output of nutrients from four of these lakes during the same periods. Retention of nutrients had occurred in all, and it was concluded that in the two deeper lakes nutrients had been lost to the sediments, whereas in the two shallower ones the increases in dissolved nutrients found were derived from the sediments.Analyses of 33 other Canadian Shield lake areas and of 13 other dilute lakes in other regions are tabulated. Comparison with the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) lakes shows that the latter are more dilute than any in the Shield area except for some in the Northwest Territories, and much more dilute than any others in the world except for some alpine lakes in California.

scholarly journals Peat Humic Substances and Earthworm Biohumus Extracts for Agricultural Applications

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 236-241
Author(s):  
Gunārs Bremanis ◽  
Maris Klaviņš ◽  
Oskars Purmalis ◽  
Raitis Ziemelis ◽  
Solveiga Maļecka
Keyword(s):  
Humic Substances ◽  
Trace Element Analysis ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Heating Process ◽  
Carboxyl Group ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Total Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Significant Difference

Extracts for agricultural use were prepared using cavitation method at 45 oC and at 95 oC from peat and earthworm biohumus. Samples of all studied extracts had similar dry-matter content. Peat humic substances and earthworm biohumus extracts were analysed using UV-Vis, FT-IR, and fluorescence spectrometry. Trace element analysis was performed with atomic absorption spectrometry. Extracts were tested for acidity, conductivity, humic acid concentration, and carboxyl group concentration. Hydrophobicity was assessed using a water-polyethylene glycol twophase system and calculation of the partition coefficient. Total nitrogen and phosphorus concentration was determined. Concentration of the humic substances slightly changed during the heating process. Significant changes in total phosphorus concentration was observed both in earthworm humus and peat extract. Thermal treatment caused decrease of hydrophobicity and lower concentration of organic matter in extracts, while carboxyl group concentrations in isolated humic substances practically did not change. The calculated ratio from UV-Vis spectra showed significant difference in humification degree of samples.

scholarly journals Apports En Carbone Et Azote Dans Le Fleuve Niger À Tondibia (Niamey) : Résultats De Deux (2) Ans D’observations

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
Alhou B ◽  
Issiaka Boukari ◽  
Darchambeau F.
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Suspended Matter ◽  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
First Year ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Temperature Conductivity ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Hydrographic Regions

The Niger River is the third more important river in Africa and drains a surface of about 2,120,000 km². It includes six hydrographic regions representing West African ecosystems. Despite the importance of this river at the regional and continental scale, little information has been collected on its biogeochemical characteristics and particularly on its role in the transportation and the transformation of matter (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus). This study present the results of two years investigation, April 2011 to March 2013 in the middle Niger, upstream Niamey (Niger) city [2.01° E, 13.57° N], according to a bi-weekly observation frequency. The variables measured are temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, suspended matter, dissolved inorganic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and particulars organics C and N as well as isotopic composition of these elements. Daily discharges of the river come from hydrologic station measurement of the Niger authority Basin (NBA) at Niamey city. Hydrologic situation was strongly contrasted between the 2 years of survey. The mean discharge of the first year was only 673 m3 s-1 (one of the weakest discharge recorded on the river Niger at Niamey since 1940), while the mean discharge of the second year was 1,096 m3 s-1. Our results show that suspended matter, particular organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon and dissolved inorganic carbon are transported mainly during the local flood, induced by precipitations in July and August. The second flood (Guinean flood) which occurred, during November to January, is characterized by low temperatures and clean waters.

Diurnal Variation of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon and its Use in Estimating Primary Production and CO2 Invasion in Lake 227

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 1501-1510 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Schindler ◽  
E. J. Fee
Keyword(s):  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Community Respiration ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Carbon Limitation ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Natural Lakes ◽  
Tracer Techniques

Standard in situ measurements of phytoplankton production and 14C bottle bioassays gave erroneous results when applied to lake 227, a eutrophic softwater lake in the Canadian Shield. Errors were found to be due to diurnal variations in the degree of carbon limitation of phytoplankton, and to invasion of CO2 from the atmosphere and hypolimnion.A method based on diurnal measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon, community respiration, and invasion of CO2, using gas chromatography, is described. Production by phytoplankton in lakes fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorus was found to be several times higher than in natural lakes of the area. Net production during summer stratification was found to equal invasion of CO2 from the atmosphere.The new technique should have application in other eutrophic low carbon lakes, where 14C tracer techniques are encumbered by serious technical complications.

Phosphorus Input and Its Consequences for Phytoplankton Standing Crop and Production in the Experimental Lakes Area and in Similar Lakes

1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Schindler ◽  
E. J. Fee ◽  
T. Ruszczynski
Keyword(s):  
Lake Management ◽  
Phosphorus Loading ◽  
Phytoplankton Production ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Experimental Lakes Area ◽  
Total Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Water Renewal ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Shield Lakes

Correlation and regression analyses were used to assess several expressions for phosphorus loading, with and without corrections for water renewal and sedimentation, as predictors of total phosphorus concentration, chlorophyll, phytoplankton volume, and phytoplankton production in the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) lakes. All expressions tested were good predictors, allowing predictions of the above parameters with 95% confidence intervals of 20–30% of the mean for any loading value. In general, correction for water renewal improved the fit of the expression, but correction for sedimentation did not. When the above strategy was applied to lakes outside ELA but with Shield or Shield-like drainage, good results were also obtained when expressions incorporating water renewal were used. If uncorrected for water renewal, loading was a poor predictor. Correction for sedimentation did not improve the expressions significantly. Correction for rapid changes in phosphorus input did not improve the predictability of equations, indicating that the equilibrium between ELA lakes and new loading conditions occurs very rapidly. Key words: Precambrian Shield lakes, eutrophication, lake management, nutrient inputs

Performance of temperature and dissolved oxygen criteria to predict habitat use by lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)This paper is part of the series “Forty Years of Aquatic Research at the Experimental Lakes Area”.

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (11) ◽  
pp. 2011-2023 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Plumb ◽  
Paul J. Blanchfield
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Dissolved Oxygen ◽  
Thermal Stratification ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Salvelinus Namaycush ◽  
Experimental Lakes Area ◽  
Lake Volume ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Environmental Extremes

We compared theoretical habitat volumes, determined from traditional combinations of temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) boundaries, with in situ habitat use by acoustically tagged lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ). The widely used criteria of 8–12 °C underestimated lake trout habitat use by 68%–80%. Instead, combined temperature (<12 or 15 °C) and DO (>4 or 6 mg·L–1) criteria most closely matched lake trout habitat use, had a similar seasonal trend as the tagged fish, suggested modest reductions (5% of total lake volume) in habitat during a warmer year, and performed best when the constraints of temperature and DO were most limiting. All data were collected in a small boreal shield lake (27 ha, zmax = 21 m) at the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, Canada, during two contrasting periods of thermal stratification (2003: warmer and longer; 2004: cooler and shorter), providing an assessment of observed and theoretical habitat volumes over current environmental extremes.

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