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The Availability of Phosphorus and the Species Composition of the Spring Phytoplankton in Lake Erken
Author(s) -
Pettersson Kurt
Publication year - 1985
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.19850700407
Subject(s) - phosphorus , algae , spring (device) , phytoplankton , algal bloom , environmental science , environmental chemistry , ecology , biology , chemistry , nutrient , organic chemistry , mechanical engineering , engineering
Abstract The spring development of phytoplankton and the phosphorus content were monitored intensively in Laken Erken during the springs of 1979 and 1980. The dominant species were dinoflagellates, mainly Woloszynskia ordinata and Peridinium aciculiferum , during the entire spring of 1979. The long period of ice‐cover (21 weeks) favoured the motile species, which were able to utilize the available light immediately below the ice. A considerable vertical migration was noticed in March 1979. These large and slow‐growing algae were able to store luxury phosphorus, and surplus phosphorus concentrations up to 12 μg P/l were measured, which corresponded to an algal content of 10 μg P/mg C. These values were more than twice as high as those recorded earlier in Lake Erken. Although a spring outburst of diatoms did not occur in 1979 and 1980, the algae were phosphorus‐limited in May, as indicated by high alkaline phosphatase activity, low algal surplus phosphorus content and high inorganic N : P ratios.