Long‐ and short‐term dynamics of submerged macrophytes in two shallow eutrophk lakes

Abstract

SUMMARY1. Periods with clear water and abundant submerged vegetation have alternated with periods of turbid water and sparse vegetation during recent decades in Lake Tåkern and Lake Krankesjön, two shallow, calcium‐rich, moderately eutrophic lakes in southern Sweden, Between 1983 and 1991, submerged vegetation (predominant species: Chara tomentosa, Nitellopsis obtusa, Myriophyllum spicatum) covered about 50% of the open lake area in Lake Tåkern. In Lake Krankesjön, submerged vegetation was sparse during 1983–84, but increased continuously in the following years and covered about 50% of the open lake area by 1990 and 1991. Potamogeton pectinatus was the first species to expand in Lake Krankesjön, but was later replaced by C. tomentosa.2. During 1983–84, turbidity was high in Lake Krankesjön, which indicated that submerged macrophytes were light‐limited. During 1986–91, there was a negative correlation between the areal coverage of charophytes and angiosperms, indicating that competition for space had become an important limiting factor. The same negative correlation was found in Lake Tåkern for 1983–91.3. Charophytes had much higher biomass per unit area than angiosperms in both lakes and reduced water movement considerably. This was probably one reason for the increase of water transparency in Lake Krankesjön during the spatial expansion of these plants. Charophytes also stored large amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen, Charophytes are probably superior competitors for both space and nutrients and thus have competitive advantage over angiosperms in this lake type.4. In Lake Krankesjön, both P. pectinatus and C. tomentosa were negatively affected by high water level during the growing period. Total disappearance of submerged vegetation occurred in both lakes after catastrophic events (dry‐out during summer or mechanical damage by ice) caused by extremely low water level. Changes in water level are thus one of the most important reasons for among‐year fluctuations in areal coverage of submerged macrophytes in these lakes.