Biogenic Load Research Articles

Characteristics of Zooplankton in Syamozero Lake (South Karelia) Based on the Results of Long-Term Monitoring

The results of long-term studies on zooplankton from Syamozero Lake, South Karelia, have been analyzed. The relationship between the quantitative indices of the zooplankton community and the value and dynamics of the biogenic load on the lake is established. The redistribution of the ratio of the major groups and dominant zooplankton species, the decrease in the Shannon diversity index, the increase in the Maemets trophic state index, and with the increase in the abundance of indicator species of higher nutrient supply have been determined. The effect of anthropogenic factors on the population characteristics of the zooplankton community and changes in the trophic status of the lake with a high resource potential have been found.

The influence of structural and functional changes on N-P-K input of agricultural origin and surface water quality in the upper Dunajec River basin in the years 1980–2010

The aim of the study was the prediction of N-P-K inputs (hereafter referred to as NPK load) from agricultural sources. The study aimed to determine relations between the structural changes and the N-P-K load (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) fertilizer components in the upper Dunajec River basin (the Carpathian region in Poland). Analysis included the level and nature of agricultural production, the land use structure and non-agricultural factors. Multiple regression analysis was used for the development of the model. Relationships were determined in the form of regression models in the system of N-P-K load-structural parameters-land use-surface water quality. The quality of surface water was assessed in a range of concentrations of N-NO3-, N-NH4+, PO43-, Cl-, and compared to the N-P-K load that was brought to the basin from agricultural sources. Significant structural and spatial changes took place in the upper Dunajec River basin that affected many social, economic and environmental factors. Agricultural production was reduced, resulting in a decrease of area of agricultural land between the year 1980 and 2010. The most important factors influencing the changes in biogenic load of an agricultural origin were: stocking density and mineral fertilization. Both of these parameters determined the amount of N-P-K load in approx. 80-90% (not counting the use of N-P-K components by crops). Surface water quality has generally improved, only higher concentrations of chlorides were recorded in small urbanized river basins. Therefore, the chemical composition of water plays the role of a simplified indicator of structural changes. Mathematical formulas proved changes in N-P-K load depending on variations of individual influencing factors. The development of the usable space of the investigated river basin must take into account agricultural and non-agricultural factors, as well as the proportions and relationships between them. Only then might the sustainable and multifunctional development of these areas be provided.

Effect of geographical factors on the biological productivity of Lake ecosystems: Modeling and forecast

The correlation between the lake ecosystem productivity and geographical and climatic factors and the production of terrestrial vegetation in the catchment area has been described in the form of a dynamic mass-balance model using Lake Krivoe (North Karelia) as an example. A model algorithm has been presented. It is concluded that, with natural year-to-year fluctuations of the biogenic load and the absence of anthropogenic impacts, Lake Krivoe has been preserving the status of an oligotrophic water body for more than 40 years (1968–2013).

The simplistic nitrogen input and output balance in Lake Łebsko – case study

Abstract The paper is based on the hypothesis that coastal lakes significantly affect changes in the quality of freshwater coming from catchments, which is best reflected in the reduction of biogenic loads. Some of the main reasons for this phenomenon include unique geographic locations of coastal lakes and physical and chemical properties of their waters as well as other hydrographic determinants that affect water circulation in catchments. The study area covered the direct drainage basin of Lake Lebsko, which is located in Słowiński National Park in northern Poland, on the coast of the southern Baltic Sea. The study was conducted from June 2008 to October 2010. Fieldwork was the main part of the research project and included hydrographic mapping, water sampling for laboratory analysis, and measurement of the discharge in all tributaries and outflows of the studied lake. Water chemistry data for Lake Lebsko indicate a significant accumulation of biogenic materials in the lake, which proves a strong effect exerted by the lake on the incoming water. This is true for both total chemical loads per year as well as concentrations of selected ions over short time intervals. This standard pattern may be interrupted by seawater intrusions that alter water chemistry in the whole lake.

Longitudinal distribution of periphyton algae in the Moskva river under eutrophication

Variations of the species structure of periphyton algae community on submerged plants have been studied along the longitudinal profile of the Moskva R. with the use of multivariate statistical methods. The results of principal-coordinates analysis show the flow velocity and biogenic load to be the major factors governing the spatial variations of periphyton structure. Mantel test shows the difference in the species structure to be correlated more closely with local variations in the environmental factors than with the distance along river channel. Therefore, the spatial distribution of periphyton in the Moskva R. agrees better with the concept of patch dynamics than the concept of river continuum. Estimation of the indicator potential of three ecological guilds of diatoms (low profile, high profile, and motile) has shown a positive response of motile diatoms to an increase in the concentration of biogenic compounds. The effect of other factors, such as light intensity in macrophyte stands and the microdistribution of diatoms in periphyton layer, can disturb the relationship between biogenic substance concentrations and the abundance of low profile and high profile diatoms.

The ecosystem of Lake Kenon: past and present (Transbaikal Territory, Russia)

Present-day conditions of the Lake Kenon ecosystem are determined by a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. We have estimated the effects of a complex of factors on the condition of the abiotic environment and on specific biological components in the lake ecosystem. Change in biogenic load has caused an increase in the role of phytoplankton in the general balance of organic matter during the high-water period. Charophytes are the main dominants of bottom vegetation. Anthropogenic load has caused a decrease in both fish species and fish capacity. The lake application as a water reservoir-cooler has influenced the average annual water mineralization (from 420 mg/L to 530.0 mg/L with a maximum 654 mg/L in 1993) and fluctuations in its hydrochemical composition. The present composition of the lake is sulfate-hydrocarbonate-chloride calcium-sodic-magnesium in character. SO 4–content is twice as much as the maximum permissible concentration in fishery waters. Water drainage from an ash disposal area to the lake has caused an increase in chemical-element concentrations including the heavy metals. Hg concentration in Perca fluviatilis muscles is 0.5 μg/g dry wt. Thus, understanding directions in the ecosystem of the water reservoir-cooler under changing hydrological conditions will let us forecast the consequences of new combined heat and power plant operation.

Effect of atmospheric precipitation and the abundance of semiaquatic bird colonies on zooplankton in the littoral of a small high-trophic lake

It is shown that, when the amount of atmospheric precipitation increases, the changes in zooplankton indices in the background area in the littoral zone of a high-trophic lake are similar to those observed under increased organic and biogenic load in the course of anthropogenic eutrophication: the diversity and abundance of rotifer increase and the indices of development of rotifers decrease. In the area subjected to the effect of products of bird vital activity, the increase in the abundance of their colony and the surface runoff lead to a reduction in the number of species (due to diversity of rotifers and copepods), the abundance and biomass of zooplankton, the portion of Rotifera and Cladocera in the total abundance and biomass of the community, and the Shannon index; however, the indexes of Copepoda development increase. The decrease in the amount of atmospheric precipitation at both sites of the littoral zone leads to a decrease in the abundance of Copepoda and an increase in the abundance of Rotifera and Cladocera. But at the site of a heron breeding colony, zooplankton is characterized by the highest development of copepods and the lowest development of rotifers and cladocerans.

The use of a spatially heterogeneous simulation model for studying biotransformation processes of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds and the dynamics of oxygen dissolved in water in the ecosystem of Neva Bay, the Gulf of Finland: 2. Input data for calculations, modeling results, and their analysis

The data collected for model calculations is systematized for natural and design conditions. The natural conditions did not take into account the effect of the complex of water-protection structures on the hydrological regime of Neva Bay and on the biogenic load onto this water area, while the design conditions, conversely, reflected the possible impact of those structures on the hydrology and ecology of the area. Numerical experiments were used to study the processes of transformation of N and P compounds and the dynamics of dissolved O2 in Neva Bay water area. In the comparison of the calculated and observed concentrations of biogenic substances, Theil criterion was evaluated to assess the adequacy of the model in reproducing the concentration fields of the distribution of biogenic substances over Neva Bay water area. The major qualitative and quantitative features of the formation of the spatial heterogeneity and the time variations in the concentrations of biogenic element compounds over Neva Bay water area are identified. Possible improvements of the model in the reproduction of the complex of processes that are of particular importance for the development of substance transformations in shallow ecosystems are considered.

Fate of phosphorus fractions in an adsorptive-filter subject to intra- and inter-event runoff phenomena

In-situ filtration of phosphorus (P) and particulate matter (PM) transported in runoff is increasingly implemented for urban source areas. While monitoring of filter response is commonly based on an event mean of total phosphorus (TP), this study examines the fate of specific P fractions through intra- and inter-event phenomena. This continuous filter monitoring program includes 15 wet weather loadings and the dry weather periods between these events. Aqueous P adsorption and PM-bound P (suspended, settleable and sediment) filtration phenomena are examined for runoff events from a landscaped carpark with biogenic loads in Gainesville (GNV), FL. Filter response is compared to a similar aluminum oxide Al-Ox modified media filter subject to anthropogenic loads from an urban paved source area in Baton Rouge (BTR), LA. Results for the GNV filter indicate that while intra-event settleable, sediment and dissolved P fractions are controlled by the filter, the suspended P fraction remained relatively mobile compared to the other P fractions. P adsorption is primarily influenced by intra-event flow rates, contact times, runoff volume, pH and by the inter-event chemistry of runoff stored in the filter. P effluent partitioning is dominated by the suspended PM as a consequence of effective adsorption by the filter. Inter-event phenomena generate decreasing redox with commensurate increases in alkalinity, conductivity as well as dissolved P as a consequence of re-partitioning. Dissolved P fate suggests that filters should be designed and managed to remain aerobic between wet weather events. For effective separation of suspended P and PM fractions by passive filters with low driving head, sustainability of performance, including head loss {<3 kPa}, requires upstream volumetric attenuation.

Speciation and Transport of Phosphorus in Source Area Rainfall–Runoff

Phosphorus (P) delivered by urban rainfall–runoff partitions and speciates during the transport process. This study examines transport and speciation of P in rainfall and runoff across 15 wet weather events from a paved source area dominated by biogenic loads and to a lesser degree, anthropogenic loads. The mean and median event-based source area total phosphorus is 3.6 and 3.5 mg/l, respectively. The mean and median event-based source area dissolved fraction (f d) are 0.31 and 0.32 illustrating that P is predominately bound to particulate matter fractions. The majority of events across the monitoring campaign produce a weak mass-limited transport of dissolved phosphorus (DP). With respect to the DP fraction in runoff (pH range of 6.4 to 8.6), the dominant species are orthophosphates (HPO4 −2 and H2PO4 −) which account for more than 90% of DP mass. The order of species predominance is consistently HPO4 −2 ≈ H2PO4 − >> CaHPO4 > MgHPO4. With rainfall pH ranging from 4.2 to 4.9 and a f d ≈ 1.0, H2PO4 − accounts for 95% to 99% of DP in rainfall. Despite the inherent variability of a large dataset (362 samples across 15 events) the speciation of DP is influenced primarily by pH, with a range from 4.2 (rainfall) up to 8.6 (runoff) that results in an order of magnitude change in P species concentration and determines the order between the dominant orthophosphate species. For this source area, the role of alkalinity, dissolved organic carbon and partitioning on DP speciation are minor compared to the influence of pH.

The role of zooplankton in the regulation of phytoplankton biomass growth and water transparency in water bodies polluted by nutrients

Experimental studies were carried out in a water body near Moscow and in a flow-through system in the territory of fertilized agricultural fields. It is shown that under high biogenic load, at the concentrations Ptot = 0.14 mg P/l, Pmin = 0.07 mg P/l, and the ratio N: P = 7.9: 1, in early summer, and in the absence of plankton-eating fish, zooplankton was regulating phytoplankton development and contributed to the preservation of high water transparency. At the biomass ratio of plant-eating zooplankton to eatable phytoplankton from 0.6 to 42.2, zooplankton can reduce the eatable part of phytoplankton within a day. The main consumers of the eatable fraction of phytoplankton biomass were large-size filterers Daphnia longispina.

Causes of polytrophism of three lakes in the Wdzydze Landscape Park

Causes of polytrophism of three lakes in the Wdzydze Landscape ParkIn the lakes Cheb and Słupino, located in the Wdzydze Landscape Park the quality of waters has been deteriorating in recent years. In the hydrologic year 2009 the quality of water was examined three times. Monthly measurements on the lake inflows and outflows were carried out 12 times to determine biogenic loads. In 2010 the supplementary measurements of biogenic loads were taken in the streams five times. According to Vollenweider's criterion, the loads of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds are too big, the heaviest to Lake Cheb. The discharge from the new sewage treatment plant is directed by the inflows into this lake. A similar situation takes place in the inflow to Lake Schodno. Paradoxically, in some catchments the construction of the sewage treatment plant may result in the deterioration of lake water quality.

The role of zooplankton in phytoplankton biomass decline and water transparency regulation in a water body subject to high organic and mineral load

Under biogenic load and at high abundance of ichthyofauna (the concentration of total phosphorus Ptot = 0.20 mg P/l, mineral phosphorus Pmin = 0.13 mg P/l, and at the ratio N: P = 4: 1 in early summer), zooplankton reduced phytoplankton biomass during summer and autumn and determined high water transparency, reaching >50% of the depth of the water body. It was found that, with a passage of ichthyofauna to artificial food, the trophic press of plankton-eating fish on zooplankton decreases. Under such conditions, with the biomass ratio of plant-eating zooplankton to edible phytoplankton between 0.4 and 7.9, zooplankton can reduce phytoplankton biomass within a day. The major portion (up to 100%) in phytoplankton biomass reduction was due to large-size filterers-phytophages Daphnia longispina and verticators Asplanchna priodonta helvetica.

Определение приоритетных действий по снижению эвтрофикации крупнейшего трансграничного водоема Европы Чудско-Псковского озера

The paper gives data on biogenic load dynamics for the Lake Chud-Pskov for the period 1998—2007; the main sources of biogenic matter pollution have been revealed, assessment of the lake ecological state has been given in connection with the biogenic load upon it; priorities in measures on the greatest transboundary water body of Europe euthrophication level decrease have been identified.

Transformations of biogenic substances in Tatar Strait water (the Sea of Japan): Analysis of mathematical modeling results

The state of the marine environment (the temperature, light intensity, transparency, biogenic load) in Tatar Strait was assessed based on mean annual data from literary sources and with the use of GIS “Sakhalin Shelf.” The entire strait was divided into three regions (northern, southwestern, and southeastern), and water exchange between them for each month was estimated by using Bergen Oceanic Model. The information about the state of the marine environment and water exchange characteristics was used as input data for a hydroecological model, which enabled the assessment of annual variations of biogenic substance concentrations and biomasses of microorganisms (heterotrophic bacteria, three groups of phytoplankton, and two groups of zooplankton) in the strait regions chosen. The development conditions of microorganism biomasses within the year can be characterized by their activity indices (specific growth rates), the values of internal fluxes of biogenic substances, and calculated bioproductivity values. The calculated biogenic substance concentrations and phytoplankton bioproductivity values showed good agreement with the estimates for the Sea of Japan and Tatar Strait available from the literature.

Modeling Non-Stationary Processes of Diffusion of Solute Substances in the Near-Bottom Layer ofWater Reservoirs: Variation of the Direction of Flows and Assessment of Admissible Biogenic Load

The paper is devoted to mathematical modelling and numerical computations of a nonstationary free boundary problem. The model is based on processes of molecular diffusion of some products of chemical decomposition of a solid organic substance concentrated in bottom sediments. It takes into account non-stationary multi-component and multi-stage chemical decomposition of organic substances and the processes of sorption desorption under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Such a model allows one to obtain quantitative estimates of incoming solute organic substances of anthropogenic origin having different molecular weights from the bottom sediments into water and to study the influence of seasonal variations of the concentration of solute oxygen in the near-bottom water on the direction of exchange processes in the system “waterbottom”. Identification of parameters of the mathematical model with the use of experimental data and with the employment of a priori information of the model's structure is carried out. Comparison of the numerical simulations with experimental data is conducted to the end of verification of efficiency and plausibility of the proposed mathematical model of secondary pollution. It implies assessment of water quality on account of the processes of exchange in the system “waterbottom”. The results of computations of non-stationary fluxes at the boundary “waterbottom” are analyzed. A model example is used to estimate the potentials of the biogenic load on the water reservoir.

Meteorological Influences on Respirable Fragment Release from Chinese Elm Pollen

Exposure to airborne pollen from certain plants can cause allergic disease, leading to acute respiratory symptoms. Whole pollen grains, 15–90 μ m-sized particles, provoke the upper respiratory symptoms of rhinitis (hay fever), while smaller pollen fragments capable of depositing in the lower respiratory tract have been proposed as the trigger for asthma. In order to understand factors leading to pollen release and fragmentation we have examined the rupture of Chinese elm pollen under controlled laboratory conditions and in the outdoor atmosphere. Within 30 minutes after immersion in water, 70% of fresh Chinese pollen ruptures, rapidly expelling cytoplasm. Chinese elm flowers, placed in a controlled atmosphere chamber, emitted pollen and pollen debris after a sequential treatment of 98% relative humidity followed by drying and a gentle disturbance. Immunologic assays of antigenic proteins specific to elm pollens revealed that fine particulate material (D p < 2 μ m) collected from the chamber contained elm pollen antigens. In a temporal study of the outdoor urban atmosphere during the Chinese elm bloom season of 2004, peak concentrations of pollen and fine pollen fragments occurred at the beginning of the season when nocturnal relative humidity (RH) exceeded 90%. Following later periods of hot dry weather, pollen counts decreased to zero. The Chinese elm pollen fragments also decreased during the hot weather, but later displayed additional peaks following periods of more moderate RH and temperature, indicating that pollen counts underestimate total atmospheric pollen allergen concentrations. Pollen fragments thus increase the biogenic load in the atmosphere in a form that is no longer recognizable as pollen and, therefore, is not amenable to microscopic analysis. This raises the possibility of exposure of sensitive individuals to pollen allergens in the form of fine particles that can penetrate into the lower airways and pose potentially severe health risks.

Delta progradation and sediment fluxes since the last glacial in the Thermaikos Gulf and the Sporades Basin, NW Aegean Sea, Greece

Late Quaternary sedimentary cover in the Thermaikos Gulf consists of three seismic Units: (i) the uppermost Unit A that represents delta progradation during the last 6000 yr when the sea surface almost reached the present level (Highstand Systems Tract, HST); (ii) Unit B that includes relatively coarse-grained sediments deposited in a shallow, high-energy, estuarine environment during the post-glacial transgression (Transgressive Systems Tract, TST); and (iii) the lowest Unit C which may represent late glacial prodeltaic deposits and slope to basin turbidites (Lowstand Systems Tract, LST). Seismic units A and B overlay a well-defined unconformity which resulted from sub-aerial erosion during the late glacial sea-level fall. Subtracting the thickness of Unit A from the present bathymetry, the paleo-relief of the Late Holocene times (ca. 6000 yr BP, sea level up to − 20 m) was assessed. Similarly, the paleo-relief ∼24 000 yr BP (sea level − 100 to − 120 m) was estimated. The main morphological feature is the incised valley of a major river that resulted from the confluence of the Axios, Aliakmon, Loudias, Gallikos and possibly Pinios Rivers. Sediment fluxes in the NW Aegean Sea were estimated for three time spans of the Late Quaternary (Interval I: 6000 yr BP–present, Interval II: 18 000– 6000 yr BP and Interval III: ∼24 000–18 000 yr BP). The terrestrial sediment load supplied by the Axios, Aliakmon, Pinios, and smaller rivers, was estimated at 35.4 × 10 9 t for Interval I. 93% of this material was deposited on the continental shelf, whereas the remaining 7% was transported to the adjacent basin. The mean annual terrestrial flux was estimated at 5.5 × 10 6 t yr − 1 . During Interval II, more than 79 × 10 9 t of terrestrial sediment were discharged into the area (terrestrial flux 6.6 × 10 6 t yr − 1 ), of which 86% was deposited on the shelf. During Interval III, the terrestrial load was 40.6 × 10 9 t (terrestrial flux 6.8 × 10 6 t yr − 1 ), and sediments were predominantly deposited on the slope and basin. Based on the sediment's carbonate content, the biogenic loads and fluxes were also determined. The biogenic flux during Intervals II and III was found to be ∼2.5-times higher than during Interval I.

Phytoplankton specimen bank for assessing ecological state of NPP cooling ponds

The data bank for species composition and seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton in the cooling pond of the Leningrad nuclear power plant (NPP), in the Finland Gulf, Kopor Bay, was developed over several years of complex monitoring. Regular observations were carried out, beginning in 1978. The inflow of warm waters from NPP (200 m3/s and industrial-municipal discharges resulted in rapid reservoir eutrophication. Phytoplankton vegetation is now observed practically for the whole year; the species composition of plankton has gradually changed and blue-green algae now predominate. Mean and maximum indices of phytoplankton concentrations increased significantly. Features of anthropogenic succession are discussed relative to the action of thermal and biogenic loads. Results of correlation analysis of phytoplankton time series and hydrochemical parameters are shown. A mathematical model is developed for describing phytoplankton seasonal dynamics in cooling ponds.