Seasonal Development of Phytoplankton in Fish Ponds

Abstract

AbstractAt the fish ponds under study the authors defined several types of plankton which have been frequently found during the season (April – October). These types are: Early‐spring maximum of phytoplankton, Depression of phytoplankton, Bloom of Aphanizomenon, Maximum of Chlorococcales.The periods of “depression” seem to be typical for the managed carp ponds in the spring. They are characterized by the low density of rapidly reproducing algal populations (e. g. Cryptomonas) and by the dense populations of large cladocerans of the genus Daphnia. Chlorophyll in phytoplankton is less than 5μg/l, transparency is higher than 2 meters.Periods of the spring depression may be followed by the maxima of either Aphanizomenon or Chlorococcales, with concentrations of chlorophyll increasing to 100 μg/l and more. The change from the phase of “depression” to the “maximum of Chlorococcales” is accompanied by decrease in numbers of Daphnia and increase in numbers of the small cladoceran species, but all the mechanisms responsible for the transition are not yet fully understood.