Anna-Kristina Brunberg

Recruitment of Microcystis (Cyanophyceae) from lake sediments: The importance of littoral inocula

Recruitment of Microcystis from sediments to the water column was investigated in shallow (1–2 m) and deep (6–7 m) areas of Lake Limmaren, central Sweden. Recruitment traps attached to the bottom were sampled on a weekly basis throughout the summer season (  June–September). A comparison between the two sites showed that the recruitment from the shallow bay was significantly higher over the entire season for all three Microcystis species present in the lake. Maximum rates of recruitment were found in August, when 2.3 × 105 colonies m−2·day− 1 left the sediments of the shallow area. Calculated over the entire summer, Microcystis colonies corresponding to 50% of the initial abundance in the surface sediments were recruited in the shallow bay, whereas recruitment from the deep area was only 8% of the sediment colonies. From these results we conclude that shallow areas, which to a large extent have been overlooked in studies of recruitment of phytoplankton, may be crucial to the dynamics of these organisms by playing an important role as inoculation sites for pelagic populations.

A Carbon Budget of a Small Humic Lake: An Example of the Importance of Lakes for Organic Matter Cycling in Boreal Catchments

Abstract Lakes play an important role in the cycling of organic matter in the boreal landscape, due to the frequently high extent of bacterial respiration and the efficient burial of organic carbon in sediments. Based on a mass balance approach, we calculated a carbon budget for a small humic Swedish lake in the vicinity of a potential final repository for radioactive waste in Sweden, in order to assess its potential impact on the environmental fate of radionuclides associated with organic matter. We found that the lake is a net heterotrophic ecosystem, subsidized by organic carbon inputs from the catchment and from emergent macrophyte production. The largest sink of organic carbon is respiration by aquatic bacteria and subsequent emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Although the annual burial of organic carbon in the sediment is a comparatively small sink, it results in the build-up of the largest carbon pool in the lake. Hence, lakes may simultaneously disperse and accumulate organic-associated radionuclides leaking from a final repository.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SHALLOW SEDIMENTS IN THE RECRUITMENT OF ANABAENA AND APHANIZOMENON (CYANOPHYCEAE)1

Recruitment of Anabaena and Aphanizomenon from the sediments to the water column was investigated in shallow (1–2 m) and deep (6–7 m) areas of Lake Limmaren, central Sweden. Recruitment traps attached to the bottom were sampled weekly throughout the summer season (June through September). A comparison between the two sites shows that the largest part of the recruited cells originated from the shallow site, although recruitment occurred at all depths in the lake. There were also differences between the species, regarding the site as well as the timing of the recruitment. The contribution of the inoculum to the pelagic population was calculated to vary between 0.003% and 0.05% for the different species. From these results we conclude that shallow sediments are more important than deep ones for the recruitment and that the inoculum in Lake Limmaren is small but may still be an important factor in the population dynamics.

Coupling between benthic biomass of Microcystis and phosphorus release from the sediments of a highly eutrophic lake

Variations in microbial biomass and activity in the sediments of hypereutrophic Lake Vallentunasjon were followed during a period of 5 years. The data were compared to the calculated release of phosphorus from the sediments during the same period. A strong co-variation was found between biomass of Microcystis, heterotrophic bacterial activity in the sediments and internal phosphorus loading. These parameters exhibited mainly a declining trend during the investigation period. A pronounced stability of the sediment chemistry, including the fractional composition of the sediment phosphorus, during the studied period indicates that microbial activity affected the phosphorus release from the sediments. Calculations of the percentage of sediment bacteria that was associated to the mucilage of Microcystis colonies imply, together with the specific bacterial production, that Microcystis in the sediment stimulates bacterial production. In the highly phosphorus-saturated sediments of Lake Vallentunasjon this would ultimately lead to an increased release of phosphorus from the sediment. Lake Vallentunasjon does not follow the common pattern of recovery after reduction of external phosphorus loading. The large biomasses and long survival of Microcystis in the sediment are probably important reasons for the delayed recovery of the lake.

Effects of compositional changes on reactivity continuum and decomposition kinetics of lake dissolved organic matter

To address the link between the composition and decomposition of freshwater dissolved organic matter (DOM), we manipulated the DOM from three boreal lakes using preincubations with UV light to cleave large aromatic molecules and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to remove colored phenolic compounds. Subsequently, we monitored the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loss over 4 months of microbial degradation in the dark to assess how compositional changes in DOM affected different aspects of the reactivity continuum, including the distribution of the apparent decay coefficients. We observed profound effects on decomposition kinetics, with pronounced shifts in the relative share of rapidly and more slowly decomposing fractions of the DOM. In the UV-exposed treatment initial apparent decay coefficient k0 was almost threefold higher than in the control. Significantly higher relative DOC loss in the UV-exposed treatment was sustained for 2 months of incubation, after which decay coefficients converged with those in the control. The PVP removed compounds with absorbance and fluorescence characteristics representative of aromatic compounds, which led to slower decomposition, compared to that in the control. Our results demonstrate the reactivity continuum underlying the decomposition of DOM in freshwaters and highlight the importance of intrinsic properties of DOM in determining its decomposition kinetics.

Quantification of Anthropogenic Threats to Lakes in a Lowland County of Central Sweden

Abstract An evaluation of the negative effects caused by anthropogenic influence on lake ecosystems was performed, using data from 143 catchments in Uppsala County, Sweden. The study included i) technical encroachments; i.e. construction of dams, dikes, etc. as well as effects of drainage of land; ii) pollution, i.e. eutrophication, acidification, and contamination by toxic substances; iii) introduction of nonnative species; and iv) exploitation of species populations. Severe damage was caused mostly by drainage of land followed by pollution by toxic substances and, to a smaller extent, introduction of nonnative species and eutrophication. Most lakes were subject to several types of disturbances, interacting in a complex pattern, which made it difficult to link the visible effects to the true causes of the disturbance. Future lake management should include analyses of all disturbances to the lake catchments, taking into account the historical perspective, in order to balance the threats/damages, in an analysis of the possibilities for maintaining biodiversity and sustainability in the eco-systems.

Inorganic nutrient acquisition in a shallow clearwater lake – dominance of benthic microbiota

Abstract.This mesocosm study from the oligotrophic Lake Eckarfjärden in Sweden shows, in contrast to many previous studies, that benthic microbiota dominated production following elevated nutrient concentrations in the water. Increased nutrient concentrations favoured microphytobenthos, whereas phytoplankton biomass remained roughly the same. Microphytobenthos biomass and production were clearly stimulated by nitrogen addition, while phytoplankton showed signs of phosphorus limitation. There were tight interactions between pelagic and benthic habitats and between organisms, and pelagic as well as benthic heterotrophic bacteria were disfavoured when microphytobenthos had access to nitrogen.We conclude that increased nutrient concentrations in the water column may trigger immediate responses in both habitats, altering the tight interactions between microbiota, but not necessarily resulting in a shift towards pelagic production.