Eutrophic Lake Research Articles

Sedimentation gaps documented in the Eemian (MIS 5e) record in four profiles from the Żabieniec palaeolake (Central Poland)

Palaeobotanical reconstruction of the Eemian Interglacial vegetation and climate, revealed differences resulting from panregional and local factors. Lithostratigraphic analyses documented changes in sediments associated with evolution of three fossil Żabieniec lakes. Special attention was paid to Mid Eemian, for which records of thermophilic taxa were found. During the next phase the eutrophic lake shallowed, and a peatbog was formed. These processes were asynchronous and suggesting three separate lake basins. Sediments recording the longest phase of the interglacial revealed a long pause in sedimentation caused probably by a combination of factors (drop in the water level and increase in climate continentality).

Longevity and efficacy of lanthanum-based P remediation under changing dissolved oxygen availability in a small eutrophic lake.

We set out to study the seasonal variations in porewater phosphorus and lanthanum concentrations in the dated sediment cores from a small eutrophic lake that has been treated with Phoslock, a lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) amendment. Three sites were sampled when the hypolimnion was either oxygenated or anoxic: (i) the lake's deepest point, (ii) a littoral site receiving inflows from the catchment, and (iii) a littoral site influenced by nearby septic tanks. Phosphate (PO43--P), lanthanum (La), iron (Fe), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sulfate (SO42-) were measured in porewater samples. An inverse diagenetic model was used to quantify fluxes of dissolved elements across the sediment-water interface as well as the net rate of their reactions along the porewater concentration gradients. Results show that porewater P and Fe underwent strong seasonal dynamics, while La did not. P fluxes, 20-fold higher at the deepest site than elsewhere in the basin, were influenced by anoxic conditions in the hypolimnion during summer and winter, suggesting that P mobility remained sensitive to redox fluctuations despite the addition of La. At the deepest site, fluxes of P across the sediment-water interface increased from 1 to 9 × 10-9 μmol cm-2 s-1 between spring and summer, while the rate of P production to the porewater also increased a hundredfold. These increases were concurrent with Fe mobilization. Finally, sediment dating shows that the fraction of P sequestered by La is buried under freshly deposited sediment at a rate of 2-3 mm per year. These results indicate that external P fluxes and erosion control remain crucial to maintain the longevity of the LMB treatment.

Understanding the Potential, Uncertainties, and Limitations of Spatiotemporal Fusion for Monitoring Chlorophyll a Concentration in Inland Eutrophic Lakes

The tradeoffs between the spatial and temporal resolutions for the remote sensing instruments limit their capacity to monitor the eutrophic status of inland lakes. Spatiotemporal fusion (STF) provides a cost-effective way to obtain remote sensing data with both high spatial and temporal resolutions by blending multisensor observations. However, remote sensing reflectance ( R rs ) over water surface with a relatively low signal-to-noise ratio is prone to be contaminated by large uncertainties in the fusion process. To present a comprehensive analysis on the influence of processing and modeling errors, we conducted an evaluation study to understand the potential, uncertainties, and limitations of using STF for monitoring chlorophyll a (Chla) concentration in an inland eutrophic water (Chaohu Lake, China). Specifically, comparative tests were conducted on the Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 image pairs. Three typical STF methods were selected for comparison, i.e., Fit-FC, spatial and temporal nonlocal filter-based fusion model, and the flexible spatiotemporal data fusion. The results show as follows: (a) among the influencing factors, atmospheric correction uncertainties and geometric misregistration have larger impacts on the fusion results, compared with radiometric bias between the imaging sensors and STF modeling errors; and (b) the machine-learning-based Chla inversion accuracy of the fusion data [ R 2 = 0.846 and root mean square error (RMSE) = 17.835 μg/l] is comparable with that of real Sentinel-2 data ( R 2 = 0.856 and RMSE = 16.601 μg/l), and temporally dense Chla results can be produced with the integrated Sentinel-2 and fusion image datasets. These findings will help to provide guidelines to design STF framework for monitoring aquatic environment of inland waters with remote sensing data.

Feeding Patterns of Fish in Relation to the Trophic Status of Reservoirs: A Case Study of Rutilus rutilus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Five Fishing Waters in Serbia

The roach, Rutilus rutilus (Linnaeus, 1758), is one of the most common fish species in mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes throughout Europe. In the Serbian reservoirs selected for this study, this species accounts for the majority of juvenile fish biomass. The aim of this study was to investigate the diet composition of juvenile roach to assess their niche based on resource availability in five Serbian reservoirs with different trophic statuses. A modified Costello graph and Kohonen artificial neural network (i.e., a self-organizing map, SOM) were employed to examine the feeding habits of 142 specimens of roach caught in five reservoirs. Our results show that juvenile roach use zooplankton, benthic macroinvertebrates, algae and detritus in their diet. In addition, five neuron clusters (A, B, C, D and E) were isolated in the SOM output network. The SOM identifies specimens that share similar feeding patterns and categorizes them onto the same or adjacent neurons, determined by dominant prey. In terms of the number of specimens, cluster B was the most numerous, and the predominant prey of these specimens were Daphnia sp., Bosmina sp. and calanoid and cyclopoid copepods. The cluster with the lowest number of specimens is cluster C, and the specimens in it benefited from Chironomidae and Insecta. Due to the different trophic statuses of the reservoirs selected for this study, knowledge of fish feeding habits is essential for the formulation of effective conservation and management strategies for both the species and the reservoirs.

Hydrochemical dynamics of stream following rainfall events at agricultural catchments in New Zealand

One of the prerequisites for efficiently managing lake water quality is reliable data regarding the quantity and quality of inflows water, mainly the export of nutrients from the catchment area during rainfall events. We investigated the dynamic characteristics of hydrochemicals concerning rainfall events in agricultural stream waters flowing into eutrophic lakes situated on the North Island’s central plateau of New Zealand. We utilized isotopic composition of water (δ2H-H2O and δ18O-H2O) and nitrate (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-) along with high-frequency hydrochemical data for source identification of water and nitrate during a drought period (2020). Our findings indicate that it is essential to initially grasp the fundamental mechanisms associated with rainfall events to formulate effective strategies for minimizing nutrient losses. The methodology outlined in this research integrates stable isotope hydrology with water quality monitoring initiatives, facilitating the understanding and managing the primary governing mechanisms behind diverse contaminant losses from land to adjacent water bodies, explicitly focusing on nitrates. This approach establishes a framework that can assist in devising measures for water quality improvement capable of anticipating the repercussions of substantial rainfall events more effectively.

THE PHYTOCOENOTIC STUDY REGARDING THE WET HABITATS FOUND ON THE COPĂNIȚA ISLAND, DOLJ COUNTY, ROMANIA

The territory under study is an island located very close to the flow of the Jiu into the Danube, in the lower course of the Danube, and represents a protected area for important species and habitats of community and priority interest, as well as an important migration area for an impressive number of protected birds.This territory is part of the ROSCI0045 Coridorul Jiului Protected Area. Considering the extremely varied and rich biodiversity of this area, we started in 2022 the realization of complex studies regarding the flora, vegetation as well as the habitats of community and priority interest found on Copanița Island. In the present work, a study is presented regarding the phytocenology of wet habitats of conservation interest as well as the anthropogenic impact on them. Thus, the following wetland habitats were identified: 3160 - Natural dystrophic lakes and ponds (CLAS. PAL.: 22.14), 3150 - Natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition-type vegetation (CLAS. PAL.: 22.13 x (22.41 sau 22.421), 3130 - Oligotrophic to mesotrophic standing waters with vegetation of the Littorelletea uniflorae and/or Isoëto-Nanojuncetea (CLAS. PAL.: 22.12 x (22.31 şi 22.32) and 3270 - Rivers with muddy banks with Chenopodion rubri p.p. and Bidention p.p. vegetation (CLAS. PAL.: 24.52). From the phytocoenotic point of view, the following aquatic and palustre plant communities were identified: Myriophyllo verticillati-Nupharetum luteae Koch 1926, Trapo-Nymphoidetum Oberd. 1957, Lemno-Spirodeletum Koch 1954, Spirodelo-Salvinietum natantis Slavnič 1965, Lemno-Salvinietum natantis Miyawaki et Tüxen 1960, Cyperetum flavescentis Koch ex Aichinger 1933 and Bidenti-Polygonetum hydropiperis Lohm. in Tüxen 1950, Polygono lapathifolio – Bidentetum Klika 1935; Echinochloo – Polygonetum lapathifolii Soo et Csurrs 1974. The climate changes of recent years had a particularly negative effect on these habitats with a particular impact on the surfaces of the habitats but also on the structure and physiognomy of the edifying plant communities.

The Influence of Seasonal Variability of Eutrophication Indicators on Carbon Dioxide and Methane Diffusive Emissions in the Largest Shallow Urban Lake in China

Eutrophication is prevalent in urban lakes; however, a knowledge gap exists regarding eutrophication influences on carbon dynamics in these ecosystems. In the present study, we investigated the carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) concentration and diffusion fluxes in Lake Tangxun (the largest shallow Chinese urban lake) in the autumn and winter of 2022 and spring and summer of 2023. We found that Lake Tangxun served as a source of GHGs, with average emission rates of 5.52 ± 12.16 mmol CO2 m−2 d−1 and 0.83 ± 2.81 mmol CH4 m−2 d−1, respectively. The partial pressure of dissolved CO2 (pCO2) (averaging 1321.39 ± 1614.63 μatm) and dissolved CH4 (dCH4) (averaging 4.29 ± 13.71 μmol L−1) exceeded saturation levels. Seasonal variability was observed in the pCO2 and dCH4 as well as CH4 fluxes, while the CO2 flux remained constant. The mean pCO2 and dCH4, as well as carbon emissions, were generally higher in summer and spring. pCO2 and dCH4 levels were significantly related to total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and ammonium-nitrogen (N-NH4+), and N-NH4+ was a main influencing factor of pCO2 and dCH4 in urban eutrophic lakes. The positive relationships of pCO2, dCH4 and trophic state index highlighted that eutrophication could elevate CO2 and CH4 emissions from the lake. This study highlights the fact that eutrophication can significantly increase carbon emissions in shallow urban lakes and that urban lakes are substantial contributors to the global carbon budget.

Algae–zooplankton relationships during the year-round cyanobacterial blooms in a shallow lake

Cyanobacterial blooms have a strong impact on the food web structure, interactions and ecosystem functioning. The aim of this study was to describe the seasonal changes in composition and abundance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliates, rotifers, and crustaceans in relation to algae and nutrients in a shallow eutrophic lake (north-eastern Poland) dominated by cyanobacteria and exposed to the strong impact of cormorants. Our results showed that algae accounted for a small part of the total phytoplankton abundance (9–40%) and biomass (10–21%) and were dominated by diatoms and cryptophytes. All of the studied groups of planktonic organisms were quite rich in species (95 algal, 79 ciliate, 44 rotifer and 25 crustacean species) and relatively abundant. Copepods formed a substantial part (45–83%) of the total zooplankton biomass during all seasons. Relatively low algal to zooplankton biomass ratio (0.8–1.1) suggests that during spring, summer, and winter algae were not sufficient food resources for metazooplankton, which supplemented its diet with protists (heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates). In a shallow lake dominated by cyanobacteria, winter (ice-covered period) may be a more favourable period for the growth of some groups of algae, ciliates and rotifers than other seasons due to decreasing abundance of cyanobacteria.

Effects of the fungicide azoxystrobin in two habitats representative of mediterranean coastal wetlands: A mesocosm experiment

This paper investigates the effects of the fungicide azoxystrobin, a compound widely used in rice farming, on aquatic communities representative of two habitats characteristic of Mediterranean wetland ecosystems: water springs and eutrophic lake waters. The long-term effects of azoxystrobin were evaluated on several structural (phytoplankton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrate populations and communities) and functional (microbial decomposition, macrophyte and periphyton growth) parameters making use of freshwater mesocosms. Azoxystrobin was applied in two pulses of 2, 20, 200 µg/L separated by 14 d using the commercial product ORTIVA (23 % azoxystrobin w/w). The results show that these two habitats responded differently to the fungicide application due to their distinct physico-chemical, functional, and structural characteristics. Although overall sensitivity was found to be similar between the two (lowest NOEC < 2 µg/L), the taxa and processes that were affected differed substantially. In general, the most sensitive species to the fungicide were found in the water spring mesocosms, with some species of phytoplankton (Nitzschia sp.) or macrocrustaceans (Echinogammarus sp. and Dugastella valentina) being significantly affected at 2 µg/L. In the eutrophic lake mesocosms, effects were found on phytoplankton taxa (Desmodesmus sp. and Coelastrum sp.), on numerous zooplankton taxa, on chironomids and on the beetle Colymbetes fuscus, although at higher concentrations. The hemipteran Micronecta scholtzi was affected in both treatments. In addition, functional parameters such as organic matter decomposition or macrophyte growth were also affected at relatively low concentrations (NOEC 2 µg/L). Structural Equation Modelling was used to shed light on the indirect effects caused by azoxystrobin on the ecosystem. These results show that azoxystrobin is likely to pose structural and functional effects on Mediterranean wetland ecosystems at environmentally relevant concentrations. Moreover, it highlights the need to consider habitat-specific features when conducting ecotoxicological research at the population and community levels.

The ratio but not individual of fragile to refractory DOM affects greenhouse gases release in different trophic level lakes

Inland shallow lakes are recognized as an important source of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and their contribution is expected to increase due to global eutrophication. The generation and release of GHGs involved multiple variables, leading to many uncertain potential factors. This study examined the emission characteristics of GHGs at the water-air interface in 12 shallow lakes categorized into four eutrophic levels in the Yangtze River basin. The average emission rates of CH4, CO2 and N2O were 1.55, 3.43, 18.13 and 30.47 mg m−2 h−1, 4.12, 14.64, 25.11 and 69.84 mg m−2 h−1, and 0.2, 0.25, 0.43 and 0.79 mg m−2 day−1 in the oligotrophic, mesotrophic, eutrophic and hypereutrophic lakes, respectively. There were significant correlations between eutrophic levels and the emission rates of CH4 and CO2 (p < 0.05). Redundancy analysis and Mantel test were conducted to further examine the key factors influencing carbon emissions from eutrophic water. It was found that the presence of algae and nutrients in the overlying water played a crucial role in the release of GHGs, indicating the importance of ecosystem productivity in the carbon budget of the lake. In order to assess the bioavailability of organic matter, a new indicator called R(P/H) was proposed. This indicator represents the ratio of protein and humus-like components, which were obtained through EEMs-PARAFAC modeling. The relationship between R(P/H) and CH4 was found to be exponential (R2 = 0.90). Additionally, R(P/H) showed a linear relationship with CO2 and N2O (R2 = 0.68, R2 = 0.75). Therefore, it is crucial to consider R(P/H) as an important factor in accurately estimating global GHG emission fluxes in the future, especially with advancements in the database.

Microcystis blooms caused the decreasing richness of and interactions between free-living microbial functional genes in Lake Taihu, China.

Microcystis blooms have a marked effect on microbial taxonomical diversity in eutrophic lakes, but their influence on the composition of microbial functional genes is still unclear. In this study, the free-living microbial functional genes (FMFG) composition was investigated in the period before Microcystis blooms (March) and during Microcystis blooms (July) using a comprehensive functional gene array (GeoChip 5.0). The composition and richness of FMFG in the water column was significantly different between these two periods. The FMFG in March was enriched in the functional categories of nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus cycling, whereas the FMFG in July was enriched in carbon cycling, organic remediation, and metal homeostasis. Molecular ecological network analysis further demonstrated fewer functional gene interactions and reduced complexity in July than in March. Module hubs of the March network were mediated by functional genes associated with carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus, whereas those in July by a metal homeostasis functional gene. We also observed stronger deterministic processes in the FMFG assembly in July than in March. Collectively, this study demonstrated that Microcystis blooms induced significant changes in FMFG composition and metabolic potential, and abundance-information, which can support the understanding and management of biogeochemical cycling in eutrophic lake ecosystems.

Dietary fatty acid transfer in pelagic food webs across trophic and climatic differences of Chinese lakes

In eutrophic lake ecosystems, cyanobacteria typically lead to unbalanced phytoplankton community structure and low dietary quality for consumers at higher trophic levels. However, it still remains poorly understood how zooplankton manage to respond to seasonal and spatial differences in lake trophic gradients and temperature factors to retain highly required dietary nutrients from phytoplankton. In this field study, we investigated seston and different size classes of zooplankton of temperate and subtropical large lakes of different trophic conditions in China. We used fatty acids (FA) as dietary nutrients from seston to zooplankton to investigate how eutrophication affects the FA composition of various zooplankton size classes. This study revealed a curvilinear relationship between total phosphorus (TP) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) contents of edible phytoplankton (“seston”) across 3 seasons and 2 climatic areas. The PUFA content of seston increased until mesotrophic lake conditions (TP: 11–20 μg L−1), after which the dietary provision of PUFA for respective consumers declined. Seston FA, rather than trophic condition or water temperature, primarily predicted changes in zooplankton FA, while this predictive power decreased with zooplankton size. Despite increasing eutrophic lake conditions, LC-PUFA content of the zooplankton consistently increased per unit biomass. The results indicate that the nutritional value of phytoplankton was highest in mesotrophic lakes, and lake zooplankton selectively increased their LC-PUFA retention with body size and/or were able to convert dietary FA endogenously to meet their size-specific FA demands, independent of lake location or time (season) or the measured trophic condition of the lake (from oligo- to eutrophic).

The influence of carbon cycling on oxygen depletion in north-temperate lakes

Abstract. Hypolimnetic oxygen depletion during summer stratification in lakes can lead to hypoxic and anoxic conditions. Hypolimnetic anoxia is a water quality issue with many consequences, including reduced habitat for cold-water fish species, reduced quality of drinking water, and increased nutrient and organic carbon (OC) release from sediments. Both allochthonous and autochthonous OC loads contribute to oxygen depletion by providing substrate for microbial respiration; however, their relative contributions to oxygen depletion across diverse lake systems remain uncertain. Lake characteristics, such as trophic state, hydrology, and morphometry, are also influential in carbon-cycling processes and may impact oxygen depletion dynamics. To investigate the effects of carbon cycling on hypolimnetic oxygen depletion, we used a two-layer process-based lake model to simulate daily metabolism dynamics for six Wisconsin lakes over 20 years (1995–2014). Physical processes and internal metabolic processes were included in the model and were used to predict dissolved oxygen (DO), particulate OC (POC), and dissolved OC (DOC). In our study of oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic lakes, we found autochthony to be far more important than allochthony to hypolimnetic oxygen depletion. Autochthonous POC respiration in the water column contributed the most towards hypolimnetic oxygen depletion in the eutrophic study lakes. POC water column respiration and sediment respiration had similar contributions in the mesotrophic and oligotrophic study lakes. Differences in terms of source of respiration are discussed with consideration of lake productivity and the processing and fates of organic carbon loads.

Sediment capping technology for eutrophication control and its potential for application in Indonesian lakes: a review

Eutrophication occurs when the lakes become enriched with nutrients. Some nitrogen and phosphorus fractions will settle in sediment, and others will be released back into the overlying water column. Excess nutrients in water bodies resulting in hypoxic to anoxic conditions that can cause a mass fish death. Hence, we need a sediment management strategy to minimize resuspension and transport of sediment back into the water column. Sediment capping is a containment technology to reduce the release of nutrients from sediment as a strategy for eutrophication control. This study aims to provide insight into sediment capping technology, including several considerations in capping design, as well as information on several active materials that have been applied as capping materials and their efficiencies. Capping materials such as calcite, zeolite, bentonite, activated carbon, sludge, biochar, and gypsum from previous studies showed the efficiency of 54–99 % nutrient reduction with capping duration of 10–300 days in some eutrophic lakes. Sediment capping technology has successfully promoted lake ecosystem restoration in other countries, and this technology has the potential to be applied in Indonesian eutrophic lakes as a strategy for eutrophication control and sustainable management of lake ecosystems by considering the selection of the most effective, efficient, easy, inexpensive, and eco-friendly capping materials.

Mapping particulate organic carbon in lakes across China using OLCI/Sentinel-3 imagery

Remote sensing monitoring of particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration is essential for understanding phytoplankton productivity, carbon storage, and water quality in global lakes. Some algorithms have been proposed, but only for regional eutrophic lakes. Based on in-situ data (N = 1269) in 49 lakes across China, we developed a blended POC algorithm by distinguishing Type-I and Type-II waters. Compared to Type-I, Type-II waters had higher reflectance peak around 560 nm (>0.0125 sr−1) and mean POC (4.65 ± 4.11 vs. 2.66 ± 3.37 mg/L). Furthermore, because POC was highly related to algal production (r = 0.85), a three-band index (R2 = 0.65) and the phytoplankton fluorescence peak height (R2 = 0.63) were adopted to estimate POC in Type-I and Type-II waters, respectively. The novel algorithm got a mean absolute percent difference (MAPD) of 35.93 % and outperformed three state-of-the-art formulas with MAPD values of 40.56–76.42 %. Then, the novel algorithm was applied to OLCI/Sentinel-3 imagery, and we first obtained a national map of POC in 450 Chinese lakes (> 20 km2), which presented an apparent spatial pattern of “low in the west and high in the east”. In brief, water classification should be considered when remotely monitoring lake POC concentration over a large area. Moreover, a process-oriented method is required when calculating water column POC storage from satellite-derived POC concentrations in type-II waters. Our results contribute substantially to advancing the dynamic observation of the lake carbon cycle using satellite data.

Evaluating the capabilities of China's new satellite HJ-2 for monitoring chlorophyll a concentration in eutrophic lakes

HJ-2 (Huanjing-2) was launched in September 2020. It has a charge-coupled device (CCD) that offers a spatial resolution of 16 m and a revisiting time of two days, making it an excellent option for environmental and disaster monitoring. However, more evaluation is needed for the ability of CCD to monitor water quality. As chlorophyll a concentration (CChla) is the main indicator for water quality evaluation, in this study, the performance of the CCD sensor to monitor CChla has been verified, with a particular focus on typical eutrophic lakes. The essential findings can be summarized as follows: (1) the CCD sensor has a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) greater than 400 in all bands except the green band, indicating that it meets the requirements for water quality monitoring; (2) the semi-empirical estimation model of CChla derived from HJ-2 CCD has a mean absolute deviation (MAD) of 8.18 μg/L, root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 10.66 μg/L and mean absolute percentage deviation (MAPD) of 20.93 %; (3) the higher temporal and spatial resolution of the CCD data enables effective monitoring of water quality parameters characterized by high spatiotemporal variations; (4) HJ-2 CCD exhibits strong consistency with Sentinel-2 MSI and Sentinel-3 OLCI across various bands, with most bands showing correlation coefficients exceeding 0.8 and a MAPD below 30 %. This study reveals the significant potential and practical value of HJ-2 CCD data for monitoring and assessing water quality, providing important information for the design and development of next-generation satellites.

Ecological water diversion activity changes the fate of carbon in a eutrophic lake

Lake eutrophication mitigation measures have been implemented by ecological water diversion, however, the responses of carbon cycle to the human-derived hydrologic process still remains unclear. With a famous river-to-lake water diversion activity at eutrophic Lake Taihu, we attempted to fill the knowledge gap with integrative field measurements (2011–2017) of gas carbon (CO2 and CH4) flux, including CO2-equivalent, and dissolved carbon (DOC and DIC) at water-receiving zone and reference zone. Overall, results showed the artificial water diversion activity increased gas carbon emissions. At water-receiving zone, total gas carbon (expressed as CO2-equivalent) emissions increased significantly due to the occurring of water diversion, with CO2 flux increasing from 9.31 ± 16.28 to 18.16 ± 12.96 mmol C m−2 d−1. Meanwhile, CH4 emissions at water-receiving zone (0.06 ± 0.05 mmol C m−2 d−1) was double of that at reference zone. Water diversion decreased DOC but increased DIC especially at inflowing river mouth. Temporal variability of carbon emissions and dissolved carbon were linked to water temperature, chlorophyll a, and nutrient, but less or negligible dependency on these environment variables were found with diversion occurring. Water diversion may increase gas carbon production via stimulating DOC mineralization with nutrient enrichment, which potentially contribute to increasing carbon emissions and decreasing DOC at the same time and the significant correlation between CO2 flux and CH4 flux. Our study provided new insights into carbon biogeochemical processes, which may help to predict carbon fate under hydrologic changes of lakes.

Differential response of Hg-methylating and MeHg-demethylating microbiomes to dissolved organic matter components in eutrophic lake water

Methylmercury (MeHg) production in aquatic ecosystems is a global concern because of its neurotoxic effect. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a crucial role in biogeochemical cycling of Hg. However, owing to its complex composition, the effects of DOM on net MeHg production have not been fully understood. Here, the Hg isotope tracer technique combined with different DOM treatments was employed to explore the influences of DOM with divergent compositions on Hg methylation/demethylation and its microbial mechanisms in eutrophic lake waters. Our results showed that algae-derived DOM treatments enhanced MeHg concentrations by 1.42−1.53 times compared with terrestrial-derived DOM. Algae-derived DOM had largely increased the methylation rate constants by approximately 1−2 orders of magnitude compared to terrestrial-derived DOM, but its effects on demethylation rate constants were less pronounced, resulting in the enhancement of net MeHg formation. The abundance of hgcA and merB genes suggested that Hg-methylating and MeHg-demethylating microbiomes responded differently to DOM treatments. Specific DOM components (e.g., aromatic proteins and soluble microbial byproducts) were positively correlated with both methylation rate constants and the abundance of Hg-methylating microbiomes. Our results highlight that the DOM composition influences the Hg methylation and MeHg demethylation differently and should be incorporated into future Hg risk assessments in aquatic ecosystems.

Benthic primary production decreases internal phosphorus loading from lake sediments under light supplement

In aquatic ecosystems, light penetrating the sediment surface in shallow lakes may regulate the internal phosphorus (P) release through benthic primary production, which subsequently affects oxidation, pH levels, and alkaline phosphatase activity in the upper sediment. To study the effects of light exposure on the P dynamics at the sediment-water interface under eutrophic conditions, a two-month mesocosm experiment was conducted in twelve cement tanks (1000 L each). The tanks were equipped with Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights, and surface sediments collected from eutrophic Lake Nanhu (China) were exposed to four different light intensities (0, 50, 100, 200 μmol m−2 s−1). The results revealed that: 1) Both the total phosphorus concentration and the phosphorus release flux from the sediment were lower in the light treatments (mean value, 0.59–0.71 mg L−1 and 0.00–0.01 mg m−2 d−1, respectively) than in the control treatment (0.77 mg L−1 and 0.01 mg m−2 d−1, respectively), indicating that light supplement could decrease the internal P release. 2) Benthic primary production promoted by light directly absorbed soluble reactive phosphorus and decreased the internal P release. The resulting improved production could also increase dissolved oxygen concentrations at the sediment-water interface, thus indirectly inhibiting internal P release. 3) The relative contributions of direct absorption and indirect inhibition on the internal P release ranged between 23% to 69% and 31% to 77% depending on the light intensity.

Variation of Local Wind Fields under the Background of Climate Change and Its Impact on Algal Blooms in Lake Taihu, China

Global climate change can greatly promote the continuing expansion of algal blooms in eutrophic inland lakes. Wind fields, an important climate factor, provide an external driving force for the movement of algal blooms. Based on algal bloom satellite imageries and wind observation data from 2003 to 2022, this study explored a quantitative assessment of the variations in surface wind fields and their impacts on the algal blooms in Lake Taihu, China. The results indicate that the mean wind speed at different time scales in the Lake Taihu area presents a continuous descending tendency in recent decades, which is the probable cause for the increasing frequency and severity of algal blooms in the lake. Wind fields affect the formation, location, and severity of algal blooms in diverse and complex ways. The area and frequency of algal blooms in Lake Taihu increase with the decrease in wind speed. The 6 h mean wind speed before 12:00 LT (Local Time) on the day of the algal bloom occurrence generally follows a Gaussian distribution, with a wind speed range of (0.6 m/s, 3.4 m/s) at the 95.5% confidence level. Accordingly, the wind speeds of 0.6 m/s and 3.4 m/s are identified to be the lower and upper critical wind speed indicators suitable for the formation of algal blooms, respectively. Another meaningful finding is that the outbreak of large-scale algal blooms requires stricter wind speed conditions, with a significantly lower wind speed threshold of around 2 m/s. Our study also demonstrates that the dominant wind direction of southeast in the region may be an important cause of the continuous water-quality decline and the high frequency and severity of algal blooms in the northwest waters of the lake. These findings will contribute to further studies on the dynamic mechanism of algal blooms and provide support for water environment management and algal bloom prevention and control.