Wetland nutrient assessment in lake Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico

Abstract

In the current project we have the opportunity to show a Wetland ecosystems are also located inside freshwater lakes as in Patzcuaro considered one of the most important natural lakes of Mexico due to its environmental, economic, cultural and social attributes. Extensive areas of this lake, its fauna, native flora and watershed are severely affected by sewage without treatment, fertilizers non-point runoff derived from agriculture, deforestation, and inadequate land use change. Within the most altered aquatic components from these processes is the wetland ecosystem which is the objective of this study because of its ecological and biogeochemical importance in Lake Patzcuaro. In this study the dynamics of total phosphorus and inorganic nitrogen inside the littoral wetland located in the southern shore of Patzcuaro where seven sites were established located inside the wetland, limnetic zone, and an underwater spring in a transect of 1,500 m long. The obtained values of dissolved total phosphorus and inorganic nitrogen indicated that these nutrients are retained when these components crossed the wetland ecosystem in 67.5% and 70.8% respectively. Hence, the wetland ecosystem is functioning as natural filter and the inputs from other pathways are deteriorating lake water quality.