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Chemical and Microbial Composition of Sediments in Reservoirs with Different Trophic State
Author(s) -
Maassen Sebastian,
Röske Isolde,
Uhlmann Dietrich
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.200310596
Subject(s) - trophic level , trophic state index , eutrophication , sediment , environmental chemistry , environmental science , ecology , chemistry , biology , nutrient , paleontology
Abstract For the assessment of the metabolic potential of a sediment, the upper 5 cm layer should preferentially be regarded, since this is the horizon with the highest biochemical activity in the entire reservoir. Sediment cores from four different reservoirs were examined. These represent a broad range of trophic conditions (Neunzehnhain – oligotrophic; Muldenberg – oligotrophic, acidic, dystrophic; Saidenbach – mesotrophic; Quitzdorf – highly eutrophic). The vertical concentration gradients in the interstitial water of the examined sediments showed the tendencies characteristic of the trophic state of the reservoirs. The gradients increased with the trophic state, which affected the release of dissolved substances. The internal P load was substantial in all cases, in Quitzdorf it even exceeded the external P load. The total cell numbers of the bacteria in the sediment were only slightly influenced by the trophic state, all being in the same order of magnitude. The reservoir Quitzdorf displayed very high P release rates from the sediment and mass growths of Microcystis with a high content of intracellular polyphosphate granules in the summer months.