Open AccessSpecies composition and biomass of an epipelic algal community in a subarctic lake before and during lake fertilization
Author(s) -
BjörkRamberg Susanna
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
ecography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.973
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1600-0587
pISSN - 0906-7590
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0587.1984.tb01121.x
Subject(s) - subarctic climate , biomass (ecology) , hypolimnion , phytoplankton , environmental science , chlorophyll a , phosphorus , ecology , algae , composition (language) , human fertilization , biology , nutrient , eutrophication , botany , agronomy , chemistry , linguistics , philosophy , organic chemistry
The species composition, biomass (measured as algal volumes) and chlorophyll concentration of epipelic algae was studies before (1977) and during (1978–1979) fertilization with phosphorus and nitrogen of Lake Gunillajaure, a small subarctic lake in northern Sweden. The epipelic biomass, dominated by Cyanophyceae and Bacillariophyceae, was high (5.6–20.1 cm 3 m −2 ) at all depths in the lake with the highest values in the hypolimnion (8–13.7 m). Calculated over mean depth it was 20 times higher than that of the phytoplankton. There was no significant increase in biomass during fertilization and neither did the species composition change. The chlorophyll concentration on the other hand were significantly higher in late 1978 and in 1979 which was probably an effect of the declining light climate caused by a large phytoplankton development in the lake. Constant seasonal biomass and species composition indicate a perennial epipelic community in this lake.