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Influence of Temperature, Photoperiod and Trophic Conditions on the Seasonal Cycles of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton in Two Deep Subarctic Lakes of Northern Canada
Author(s) -
Moore James W.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
internationale revue der gesamten hydrobiologie und hydrographie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 0020-9309
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.19810660512
Subject(s) - zooplankton , subarctic climate , phytoplankton , plankton , environmental science , trophic level , oceanography , trophic state index , ecology , nutrient , biology , geology
The densities of phytoplankton and zooplankton were determined for 12 consecutive months (1978–1979) in two deep oligotrophic lakes in northern Canada. The lakes were situated on the same river system, about 5 km from one another. While they exhibited similar temperature conditions, there were slight differences in the ionic content of the water. Overall, changing temperature was the most important factor influencing the duration of the growth cycles of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Nutrients generally controlled the intensity but not the timing of algal blooms. A similar relationship was recorded for the effects of food supply on the development of the major species of herbivorous zooplankton. Although changing photoperiod likely initiated the growth of several important algal and zooplankton species in the spring and early summer, light had no measurable impact on the development of planktonic communities throughout the remainder of the growing season. The higher ionic content of the water in one lake may have promoted the growth of protozoans during the fall and early winter.