Effects of water colour on the pigment content of a floating-leaved macrophyte—Implications of lake brownification

Abstract

Brownification of lakes is a widely spread environmental problem. Brownification is a severe phenomenon, because water colour strongly shapes lake ecosystems through effects on the physical–chemical environment and biological communities. The effects of brownification on aquatic macrophytes are poorly known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to find out the effects of increasing water colour on the photosynthetic pigment content of the floating-leaved macrophyte Nuphar lutea. Field data on water quality and pigment content of N. lutea were collected from 27 lakes in southern and central Finland. The concentration of chlorophyll a+b in the floating laminae or in the petioles was not dependent on water colour, but the depth where the maximum chlorophyll a+b concentration was observed in the petioles, decreased with increasing water colour. Chlorophyll a:b ratio in the petioles and in the floating laminae decreased with increasing water colour. The response of the laminae was explained by decreased upward irradiance of light in high-colour lakes. However, the decreasing light intensity along increasing water colour could not alone explain the variations in chlorophyll a:b. The effects of water colour on the spectral composition of light probably also had a regulatory role. The results showed that the effects of lake brownification on pigments of macrophytes may not be limited to submerged species, but floating-leaved species can also be affected, with consequences for their photosynthesis.