Abstract

Submerged macrophytes are important elements for the structure and functioning of lake ecosystems. In this study, we used chemical and maximum colonisation depth (C_max) data from 12 European countries in order to investigate how suitable C_max may describe the impact by eutrophication. The analyses include data from 757 lakes and 919 lake years covering oligotrophic to eutrophic lakes. Overall, C_max was closely related to Secchi depth (R (2) = 0.58) and less closely to chlorophyll a (R (2) = 0.31), TP (R (2) = 0.31) and total nitrogen, TN (R (2) = 0.24). The low coefficients of determination between C_max and nutrient concentrations suggest that other response factors than nutrient-phytoplankton-light conditions are important for C_max and that it will be difficult to establish strong relationships between external nutrient loading and C_max. Yearly monitoring for 13-16 years in eight Danish lakes showed considerable year-to-year variability in C_max, which for the individual lakes only related weakly to changes in Secchi depth. The use of C_max as an eutrophication indicator is especially relevant in not very shallow lakes (maximum depth > 4-5 m), not too turbid lakes (C_max > 1 m) and not very humic lakes (colour < 60 mg Pt/l).

Keywords

Maximum colonisation depth; Water framework directive; Eutrophication; Secchi depth; Nutrients; Humic lakes

Published in

Hydrobiologia
2013, Volume: 704, number: 1, pages: 165-177
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

• Ecke, Frauke

  • Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1389-1

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/39993