ISSN:
1573-5117
Keywords:
agriculture
;
blue-green algae
;
eutrophication
;
internal loading
;
nitrogen
;
phosphorus
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract The impact of agriculture was estimated on two shallow, eutrophic lakes, Lake Kotojärvi and Lake Villikkalanjärvi in southern Finland. The main emphasis was on phosphorus and nitrogen budgets and on the phytoplankton dynamics. Special attention was paid to internal P loading and blue-green algal blooms. The mean Tot-P load from agricultural land was 1.2 kg ha-1 a-1 in both basins and Tot-N loads were 19 kg ha-1 a-1 in L. Villikkalanjärvi and 12 kg ha-1 a-1 in L. Kotojärvi. The Tot-P input to L. Kotojärvi was on an average 0.62 g m-2 a-1 (per lake surface area), and the Tot-N input 9.1 g m-2 a-1. The corresponding inputs to L. Villikkalanjärvi were 3.1 and 57 g m-2 a-1, respectively. The annual variation followed the runoff volumes. About half of the Tot-P and one third of the Tot-N load was retained in L. Kotojärvi. In L. Villikkalanjärvi the retention was only 24% for Tot-P and 19% for Tot-N. The difference was very probably due to a longer theoretical retention time in L. Kotojärvi. In L. Villikkalanjärvi the mean concentration of Tot-P was 120 µg 1-1 and that of Tot-N 1700 µg 1-1 and the corresponding figures in L. Kotojärvi 67 and 990 µg 1-1, respectively. The mean chlorophyll a concentration was, however, higher in L. Kotojärvi (26 µg 1-1) than in L. Villikkalanjärvi (20 µg 1-1). This was probably due to an internal P load in L. Kotojärvi: in 1988 the internal load of dissolved P was estimated to be as much as twofold the external load. In L. Villikkalanjärvi the internal dissolved P load was only up to 50% of the external input. In L. Kotojärvi the high internal P load coupled with a low DIN:DIP ratio resulted in a strong blue-green algal bloom in the summer of 1988. In L. Villikkalanjärvi blue-green algae were observed only in small amounts. Even in August 1990, when the DIN:DIP ratio was low enough to favor the occurrence of blue-green algae, they contributed only up to 10–15% of the total phytoplankton biomass.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00026726
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