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Lake mixing influences aquatic chemical properties and microbial community composition, and thus, we hypothesized that it would alter microbial community assembly and interaction. To clarify this issue, we explored the community assembly processes and cooccurrence networks in four seasons at two depths (epilimnion and hypolimnion) in a mesotrophic and stratified lake (Chenghai Lake), which formed stratification in the summer and turnover in the winter. During the stratification period, the epilimnion and hypolimnion went through contrary assembly processes but converged to similar assembly patterns in the mixing period. In a highly homogeneous selection environment, species with low niche breadth were filtered, resulting in decreased species richness. Water mixing in the winter homogenized the environment, resulting in a simpler microbial cooccurrence network. Interestingly, we observed a high abundance of the cyanobacterial genus Planktothrix in the winter, probably due to nutrient redistribution and Planktothrix adaptivity to the winter environment in which mixing played important roles. Our study provides deeper fundamental insights into how environmental factors influence microbial community structure through community assembly processes.

Calcite (Cc) has been tested as a potential phosphorus (P) binding agent to be used for non-invasive P removal from lakes. In this approach P binding agent is placed in the water column and subsequently removed together with the sorbed P. Mechanism of orthophosphate (OP) sorption onto Cc and Cc behaviour were investigated under epilimnetic and hypolimnetic temperature, pH and saturation with respect to Cc (25°C, pH = 9.0, saturation index for Cc (SICc) = 1.4, and 10°C, pH = 7.1, SICc = -0.7, respectively) at an initial OP concentration of ∼ 1 mg PO43− L−1 in the range of Cc dosages of 0.01–20.1 g L−1, resulting in OP:Cc mass ratios of 0.06–85 mg:g. Prevailing OP binding processes were adsorption and precipitation, depending on OP:Cc mass ratio (adsorption predominated at low OP:Cc and precipitation at high OP:Cc). Under epilimnetic conditions, approximately five times lower OP:Cc mass ratio was needed to induce precipitation as compared to hypolimnion, indicating at a greater probability of precipitation in epilimnion, while adsorption was more likely to occur in hypolimnion. In epilimnion, co-precipitation of OP was also involved together with adsorption. Calculated maximum adsorption was 35% higher in epilimnion, whereas obtained precipitation rates (measured as unit sorption) were 87% higher, showing promoting effect of epilimnetic conditions on OP removal. Application of Cc into epilimnion will result in a pH drop which can reduce occurrence of cyanobacteria. Application of Cc into hypolimnion will result in its partial dissolution, while most of the applied Cc mass will be removable after the finished treatment.

Turbidity from glacial meltwater limits light penetration with potential ecological consequences. Using profiles of temperature, conductivity, and turbidity, we examine the physical processes driving changes in the epilimnetic turbidity of Carpenter Reservoir, a long and narrow, glacier-fed reservoir in southwest British Columbia, Canada. Following the onset of permanent summer stratification, the relatively dense inflows plunged into the hypolimnion, and despite the high glacial load entering the reservoir, the epilimnion cleared due to particle settling. Using a one-dimensional (longitudinal) diffusion equation for a decaying substance to describe the variation in epilimnetic turbidity, we obtain two nondimensional parameters: the epilimnetic inflow parameter, $$\mathcal {I}$$ I , a measure of the turbidity flux into the epilimnion; and the dispersion parameter, $${\mathcal {D}}$$ D , a measure of longitudinal dispersion. In the case of Carpenter Reservoir: $$\mathcal {I}\ll 1$$ I ≪ 1 , indicating that turbidity declines over the summer; and $${\mathcal {D}}\ll 1$$ D ≪ 1 , indicating a strong gradient in turbidity along the epilimnion. Using our theoretical formulation of epilimnetic turbidity variations in conjunction with monthly field surveys, we compute the particle settling velocity ($${\sim}{0.25}\,{\hbox {m}\,\hbox {d}^{-1}}$$ ∼ 0.25 m d - 1 ), the longitudinal dispersion coefficient (50–70 $${\hbox {m}^{2}\,\hbox {s}^{-1}}$$ m 2 s - 1 ), and the flux of turbid water into the epilimnion ($${\sim }1{\%}$$ ∼ 1 % of the total inflow). Our approach is applicable to other reservoirs and can be used to investigate changes in turbidity in response to changes in $$\mathcal {I}$$ I and $${\mathcal {D}}$$ D .

The physical, chemical, and biological dynamics under changing atmospheric conditions of Laguna Lake, Philippines were analyzed from intensive observations. Diel measurements were conducted for 48 continuous hours for both dry and wet tropical seasons in addition to fine resolution long-term monitoring. Results revealed significant vertical and diel variations of lake variables in spite of a shallow water depth (2.5 m) caused by the intense surface heating from solar irradiance (~800 W m−2) and accentuated by the lake's high turbidity (16–32 ftu). Late afternoon land-lake breeze (~5–7 m s−1) regularly breaks daytime thermal stratification, and convective cooling at night maintains isothermal condition until dawn of the next day. The stratified condition demonstrated a wind-driven, density-induced 2-layer current pattern with a windward moving epilimnion (~4 folds faster) and a compensating hypolimnetic flow in the general lake circulation direction. Laguna Lake was observed to have a dominating diel cycle but also undergoes significant seasonal limnological variations brought primarily by climate, hydrology, and its interaction with the adjacent sea. Significantly correlated variations of pH, chlorophyll-a and DO in the dry season were indicative of the higher biological activity associated with the intrusion of polluted waters from Metro Manila. The non-occurrence of thermal over-turn was observed to be regularly followed by bottom hypoxic conditions (2–4 mg L−1), indicative of the eutrophic condition of the lake and the importance of diel wind-induced mixing in the bottom supply of DO. Laguna Lake was found to be predominantly net heterotrophic (GPP:R

Decline in total phosphorus (TP) during lake reoligotrophication does not apparently immediately influence carbon assimilation or deep-water oxygen levels. Traditional monitoring and interpretation do not typically consider the amount of organic carbon exported from the productive zone into the hypolimnion as a measure of net ecosystem production. This research investigated the carbon-to-phosphorus ratios of suspended particles in the epilimnion, (C:P)epi, as indicators of changing productivity. We report sestonic C:P ratios, phytoplankton biomass, and hypolimnetic oxygen depletion rates in Lake Hallwil, a lake whose recovery from eutrophic conditions has been documented in 35 years of historic water-monitoring data. This study also interpreted long-term (C:P)epi ratios from reoligotrophication occurring in four other lakes. Lake Hallwil exhibited three distinct phases. (i) The (C:P)epi ratio remained low when TP concentrations did not limit production. (ii) (C:P)epi increased steadily when phytoplankton began optimizing the declining P and biomass remained stable. (iii) Below a critical TP threshold of ∼15 to ∼20 mg P m-3, (C:P)epi remained high and the biomass eventually declined. This analysis showed that the (C:P)epi ratio indicates the reduction of productivity prior to classic indicators such as deep-water oxygen depletion.

Freshwaters are important emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), two potent greenhouse gases (GHGs). While aquatic surface GHG fluxes have been extensively measured, there is much less information about their underlying sources. In lakes and reservoirs, surface GHG can originate from horizontal riverine flow, the hypolimnion, littoral sediments, and water column metabolism. These sources are generally studied separately, leading to a fragmented assessment of their relative role in sustaining CO2 and CH4 surface fluxes. In this study, we quantified sources and sinks of CO2 and CH4 in the epilimnion along a hydrological continuum in a permanently stratified tropical reservoir (Borneo). Results showed that horizontal inputs are an important source of both CO2 and CH4 (>90 % of surface emissions) in the upstream reservoir branches. However, this contribution fades along the hydrological continuum, becoming negligible in the main basin of the reservoir, where CO2 and CH4 are uncoupled and driven by different processes. In the main basin, vertical CO2 inputs and sediment CH4 inputs contributed to on average 60 % and 23 % respectively to the surface fluxes of the corresponding gas. Water column metabolism exhibited wide amplitude and range for both gases, making it a highly variable component, but with a large potential to influence surface GHG budgets in either direction. Overall our results show that sources sustaining surface CO2 and CH4 fluxes vary spatially and between the two gases, with internal metabolism acting as a fluctuating but key modulator. However, this study also highlights challenges and knowledge gaps related to estimating ecosystem-scale CO2 and CH4 metabolism, which hinder aquatic GHG flux predictions.

The increase of affected river reaches by reservoirs has drastically disturbed the original hydrological conditions, and subsequently influenced the nutrient biogeochemistry in the aquatic system, particularly in the cascade reservoir system. To understand the seasonal variation of nitrogen (N) behaviors in cascade reservoirs, hydrochemistry and nitrate dual isotopes (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-) were conducted in a karst watershed (Wujiang River) in southwest China. The results showed that NO3--N accounted for almost 90% of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) concentration with high average concentration 3.8 ± 0.4 mg/L among four cascade reservoirs. Higher N concentration (4.0 ± 0.8 mg/L) and larger longitudinal variation were observed in summer than in other seasons. The relationship between the variation of NO3--N and dual isotopes in the profiles demonstrated that nitrification was dominated transformation, while assimilation contributed significantly in the epilimnion during spring and summer. The high dissolved oxygen concentration in the present cascade reservoirs system prevented the occurrence of N depletion processes in most of the reservoirs. Denitrification occurred in the oldest reservoir during winter with a rate ranging from 18 to 28%. The long-term record of surface water TDN concentration in reservoirs demonstrated an increase from 2.0 to 3.6 mg/L during the past two decades (~ 0.1 mg/L per year). The seasonal nitrate isotopic signature and continuously increased fertilizer application demonstrated that chemical fertilizer contribution significantly influenced NO3--N concentration in the karst cascade reservoirs. The research highlighted that the notable N increase in karst cascade reservoirs could influence the aquatic health in the region and further investigations were required.

Lake Kariba, created in 1958, experienced changes, notably the decline of the Limnothrissa miodon fishery, which have been attributed to climatic change. Air temperatures rose abruptly by 1.1°C between 1980 and 1981, but the temperature of the lake did not follow this pattern. Temperatures at 10 m depth increased by 8% between 1961 and 1971, remained stable until 1984, then declined and by 1992 the temperature was about 7% lower than in 1961. The causes of this are unclear but it followed the hot and dry El Niño droughts of 1982-83 and 1991-92. The lake warmed again by 2007-2011 with temperatures at 10 m being about 10% higher than in 1961, while at 40 m it was 16% higher indicating a faster warming rate in deeper waters. The thermocline fell from 15-20 m in 1968 and 1986 to 20-25 m in 2011 and the temperature gradient decreased by > 50%. The epilimnion became more homogenous, with no evidence of anoxia in the upper 20 m in 2007-08, and the normal monomictic thermal regime may change, thus affecting nutrient circulation and the seasonal abundance of plankton. Both zooplankton and phytoplankton communities have evolved since the lake was created, but these changes occurred before any evidence of warming. The fishery has been declining since 1996 but there is no evidence that climate change is responsible; the number of fishing vessels is presently about three times the recommended level and fishing effort is almost certainly the main cause of the problems. All African lakes support fisheries and it is essential to consider fishing, which changes fish species composition, demographics and abundance, characters that could also be affected by climate change.

Previous studies in Lake Sevan during summer stratification have shown that the highest zooplankton abundance and biomass was found at the lower boundary of the epilimnion. At the same time, whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus), being main planktivorous species in the lake, preferred the hypolimnion, but was leaving this layer if dissolved oxygen concentrations decreased to 1–5 mg/L. The study was conducted in Bolshoy Sevan (the southern part of Lake Sevan) on July 29–30, 2019. The vertical profiles of water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration, as well as distribution of major taxonomic groups of aquatic organisms were assessed four times a day: in the dark (night time), in the light (day time), and in twilight (morning and evening). Fish population density was assessed using a “Simrad EK80” echosounder. Vertical distribution of zooplankton and fish observed within the study period did not correspond to that described earlier. Maximal zooplankton biomass during the study was recorded in the hypolimnion, and minimal biomass, in the epilimnion. Most of fish (89–100%) located in the metalimnion. At night, about 10% of the fish population descended to the hypolimnion, despite the low dissolved oxygen concentrations found there (3.0–3.1 mg/L). At dawn, about 7% of the fish ascended to the epilimnion, reaching a 7-m depth, where the water temperature was 20.8 °C. The water temperature range preferred by most fish individuals varied during the observation period and did not correspond to previously reported ranges.

A 39-cm sediment core from Castle Lake, California (USA) spans the last ~ 450 years and was analyzed for diatoms and organic geochemistry (δ15N, δ13C, and C:N), with the goal of determining sensitivity to natural climate variation and twentieth century anthropogenic effects. Castle Lake is a subalpine, nitrogen-limited lake with ~ 5 months of annual ice cover. Human impacts include light recreational use, past fish stocking, and experimental use by the Castle Lake Research Station. The base of the core (below 32 cm; pre mid-1700s) represents the period of maximum ice cover. In contrast, the end of the Little Ice Age (mid 1700s–early 1800s) is dominated by cyclotelloids (mostly Discostella stelligera), indicating significant open-water periods, a condition that persisted into the early 1900s. Cyclotelloids began to decline in the 1960s and were replaced by the Fragilaria tenera grp. (peak in 1970s), succeeded by Asterionella formosa (peak ~ 2010), and accompanied by a reduction in δ15N values and a decrease in C:N that may represent increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Another anthropogenic signal was discerned in the core and was interpreted to be the result of an ammonium nitrate fertilization experiment of the epilimnion that was conducted in 1980 and 1981. This signal was manifested in the core largely by a negative excursion in δ15N, possibly caused by fractionation during denitrification in surface sediment. A phytoplankton monitoring dataset collected by the Castle Lake Research Station from 1967 to 1984 corroborates the timing of increased araphid euplanktonic species in the 1970s, and increases in two benthic diatoms (Staurosirella pinnata and Tabellaria fenestrata), entrained in the phytoplankton tows during the experimentation years. Both ice cover and nitrogen addition appear to be strong drivers that affected the lake diatoms, although additional drivers, such as fish stocking and associated cascade effects need further exploration. These data will be helpful for interpreting longer core records from Castle Lake, should the opportunity arise, as well as cores from similar systems in the region.

Wildfire is the dominant natural disturbance agent in forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and can have long-lasting impacts on local landscapes and limnologic processes. We applied a multi-proxy paleolimnological approach to infer the impact of forest fires on the catchment of Island Lake, Wyoming (USA), over the last ~ 350 years. Specifically, we examined whether fossil diatom assemblages recorded indirect, limnological impacts from fire, including changes in water clarity, nutrient input, and lake mixing. The objective of this study was to determine if post-fire lake changes could be reconstructed effectively using fossil diatom assemblages from Island Lake, Wyoming, by comparing the diatom record to dendrochronological and macroscopic charcoal records. Local and regional fire years AD 1747 and 1900 were determined from tree-ring records, which were corroborated with sediment accumulation rates and magnetic susceptibility in Island Lake sediments. Inferred lacustrine conditions that were associated with fire events, particularly regional, mixed-severity fire year 1900, included increased turbidity, greater water column mixing, and possible augmented influx of total phosphorus to the system. Thus, the fossil diatom assemblage in Island Lake appears to have recorded forest fire activity indirectly, particularly when fire activity was severe or widespread within the catchment. An increase in small colonial Fragilaria (sensu lato) species since 1975, in association with the rise in abundance of Asterionella formosa and Tetracyclus glans, suggests recent changes in thermal stratification patterns, epilimnion temperatures, and available nutrients.

We used acoustic telemetry and environmental monitoring to elucidate preferred microhabitats of juvenile steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a Central California intermittent estuary (IE) during historic drought. We collected over half a million fish locations in the Pescadero IE (San Mateo County, CA) across 15 weeks during an extended sandbar-closed period which permitted quantification of fine scale habitat use and movement patterns. Tagged juvenile steelhead expressed strong site fidelity, especially at night when core habitat area - defined as the 50% probability of being present in an area - contracted by over one order of magnitude. The rate of movement was slow overall (~0.4 to 0.6 lengths·s−1) and remained at baseline levels at night (~40 mm∙s−1). The daytime rate of movement generally tracked solar radiation levels and appeared to be moderated by water temperatures. Spikes in the rate of movement occurred during crepuscular periods and the maximum hourly rate of movement (138 mm∙s−1) was observed during the early study period from 10:00 to 11:00 when water temperatures were physiologically optimal (17–18 °C). Water quality worsened upstream when water temperatures exceeded 18 °C and dissolved oxygen concentrations declined below 7.0 mg·L−1. Fish tag detections at stationary receivers in the upper estuary declined linearly with deteriorating water quality conditions. Qualitative analysis of juvenile steelhead habitat utilization indicated a strong preference for two microhabitat features in the estuary during the study; both were shallow (~1.5 m), wind-protected, and possessed cover and sandy substrates that occurred within the fresh or near fresh epilimnion where lagoon water quality was best and benthic prey was likely most abundant. Upstream movement occurred in late fall for over half of the tagged cohort, which likely enhances population resiliency by allowing these fish to escape lethal water quality conditions coincident with the transition from closed to open estuary in late fall. Climate projections for California’s Central Coast predict an increase in extreme dry events and the information presented here can help natural resource managers prepare for the future, such as the critical need to promote development of a sufficiently oxygenated epilimnion during extended sandbar-closed ecosystem states.

Accurate lake sediment-derived palaeoenvironmental reconstructions require in-depth knowledge on sediment record formation processes. In order to understand formation of laminated sediments in the eutrophic Lake Kierskie (western Poland) we conducted a year-round (November 2015–October 2016), monthly sediment trap study along with physico-chemical water properties, water transparency, hardness, alkalinity, nutrients and solute content, trophic state indices, and the phytoplankton assemblage monitoring. Sedimentation in Lake Kierskie primarily resulted from the activity of photosynthetic organisms. The maxima of biogenic silica accumulation were synchronous with the bloom of centric diatoms observed in March and April. These were followed by the most intensive precipitation of CaCO3 noted between mid-April and mid-June, that corroborated with the domination of Stephanodiscus hantzschii and small flagellate forms acting as nucleation sites for crystal formation. At the same time shift from the diatom-dominated assemblages to the communities composed of chlorophytes, cryptophytes, and dinoflagellates, the groups with cellulose external covering, resulted in decreased proportion between SiO2 and organic matter. CaCO3 precipitation continued in the summer months, however its amount decreased simultaneously with a drop in S. hantzschii biomass. The significant overall flux of biogenically mediated materials from epilimnion was promoted by eutrophic towards hypertrophic conditions in Lake Kierskie revealed by the trophic state indices. Mixing of the water column in autumn triggered resuspension and redeposition of the previously deposited sediments resulting in the second, after the early spring, maximum sediment flux. Minima of sediment accumulation were observed during the winter water stratification when the smallest particles sedimented from suspension. The sediment flux to the lake bottom recorded by us in a 1-year, monthly sediment trap study matches a sequence of pale, whitish lamina deposited during spring and summer, followed by dark, grayish or black lamina deposited in the autumn and winter, observed in the macroscopic investigation of the short (0.5 m) core from Lake Kierskie. Preservation of distinct laminations in the dimictic Lake Kierskie is supported by anoxic hypolimnion developed under the high supply of organic matter from epilimnion of this highly eutrophic lake.

Base Mine Lake (BML) is the first full-scale demonstration end pit lake for the oil sands mining industry in Canada. We examined aerobic methanotrophic bacteria over all seasons for five years in this dimictic lake. Methanotrophs comprised up to 58% of all bacterial reads in 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analyses (median 2.8%), and up to 2.7 × 104 cells mL-1 of water (median 0.5 × 103) based on qPCR of pmoA genes. Methanotrophic activity and populations in the lake water were highest during fall turnover, and remained high through the winter ice-covered period into spring turnover. They declined during summer stratification, especially in the epilimnion. Three methanotroph genera (Methylobacter, Methylovulum, and Methyloparacoccus) cycled seasonally, based on both relative and absolute abundance measurements. Methylobacter and Methylovulum populations peaked in winter/spring, when methane oxidation activity was psychrophilic. Methyloparacoccus populations increased in the water column through summer and fall, when methane oxidation was mesophilic, and also predominated in the underlying tailings sediment. Other, less abundant genera grew primarily during summer, possibly due to distinct CH4/O2 microniches created during thermal stratification. These data are consistent with temporal and spatial niche differentiation based on temperature, CH4 and O2. This pit lake displays methane cycling and methanotroph population dynamics similar to natural boreal lakes. Importance statement: The study examined methanotrophic bacteria in an industrial end pit lake, combining molecular DNA methods (both quantitative and descriptive) with biogeochemical measurements. The lake was sampled over 5 years, in all four seasons, as often as weekly, and included sub-ice samples. The resulting multi-season and multi-year dataset is unique in its size and intensity, and allowed us to document clear and consistent seasonal patterns of growth and decline of three methanotroph genera (Methylobacter, Methylovulum, and Methyloparacoccus). Laboratory experiments suggested that one major control of this succession was niche partitioning based on temperature. The study helps to understand microbial dynamics in engineered end-pit lakes, but we propose that the dynamics are typical of boreal stratified lakes, and widely applicable in microbial ecology and limnology. Methane oxidising bacteria are important model organisms in microbial ecology, and have implications for global climate change.

Cyanobacteria are important primary producers in temperate freshwater ecosystems. However, studies on the seasonal and spatial distribution of cyanobacteria in deep lakes based on high-throughput DNA sequencing are still rare. In this study, we combined monthly water sampling and monitoring in 2019, amplicon sequence variants analysis (ASVs; a proxy for different species) and quantitative PCR targeting overall cyanobacteria abundance to describe the seasonal and spatial dynamics of cyanobacteria in the deep hard-water oligo-mesotrophic Lake Tiefer See, NE Germany. We observed significant seasonal variation in the cyanobacterial community composition (p < 0.05) in the epi- and metalimnion layers, but not in the hypolimnion. In winter—when the water column is mixed—picocyanobacteria (Synechococcus and Cyanobium) were dominant. With the onset of stratification in late spring, we observed potential niche specialization and coexistence among the cyanobacteria taxa driven mainly by light and nutrient dynamics. Specifically, ASVs assigned to picocyanobacteria and the genus Planktothrix were the main contributors to the formation of deep chlorophyll maxima along a light gradient. While Synechococcus and different Cyanobium ASVs were abundant in the epilimnion up to the base of the euphotic zone from spring to fall, Planktothrix mainly occurred in the metalimnetic layer below the euphotic zone where also overall cyanobacteria abundance was highest in summer. Our data revealed two potentially psychrotolerant (cold-adapted) Cyanobium species that appear to cope well under conditions of lower hypolimnetic water temperature and light as well as increasing sediment-released phosphate in the deeper waters in summer. The potential cold-adapted Cyanobium species were also dominant throughout the water column in fall and winter. Furthermore, Snowella and Microcystis-related ASVs were abundant in the water column during the onset of fall turnover. Altogether, these findings suggest previously unascertained and considerable spatiotemporal changes in the community of cyanobacteria on the species level especially within the genus Cyanobium in deep hard-water temperate lakes.

Most reservoirs in subtropical areas experience periodic variations in the thermal structure of their water columns, with times of strong thermal stratification being succeeded by periods of mixing, over the course of the year. Understanding of the transport and transformation of dissolved inorganic carbon over such thermal cycles in artificial reservoirs remains poor. To address this problem, this study examined the spatiotemporal behavior of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2), carbon isotope ratios (δ13CDIC), and CO2 emission (FCO2), from 2014 to 2018 in a subtropical, groundwater-fed reservoir in southern China. It was found that CO2 emissions during mixing periods are much higher than in thermally stratified periods (particularly during transition from stratified to mixing) as a result of upwelling and release of dissolved CO2 (CO2aq) accumulated in the hypolimnion. CO2 emission fluxes at the water-gas interface accounted for only a small proportion of the DIC in the reservoir. The relationships between of DIC and δ13CDIC displayed two distinct modes, due to spatial differences in water depths and to strong thermal stratification during warmer seasons: (1) DIC concentrations increase and δ13CDIC values decrease from epilimnion to hypolimnion, and (2) δ13CDIC values decrease with increasing DIC concentrations but δ13CDIC is progressively enriched near the bottom during periods of thermal stratification. In addition, this study found three distinct processes of DIC accumulation and consumption in the reservoir: (1) DIC accumulated in the hypolimnion during thermal stratification periods, due to carbon retention but (2) DIC was substantially consumed in the epilimnion during such periods, and (3) average DIC concentrations and pCO2 increased significantly from upstream to downstream along the reservoir, while average δ13CDIC values became lighter. These results highlight that carbon behavior in groundwater‑fed reservoirs is often controlled by a combination of biogeochemical processes and seasonal variations in thermal structure. Sampling and monitoring strategies should consider these factors in order to accurately estimate carbon budgets in reservoirs, lakes or ponds.

Fluorescence spectroscopy is one of the most useful techniques currently available for the characterisation of organic matter in natural water samples, because it combines easy availability of instrumentation, high sensitivity and limited requirements for sample treatment. The main fluorophores that can be found in natural waters are usually proteins (and/or free amino acids) and humic substances (humic and fulvic acids). The identification of these fluorescent compounds in water samples helps to obtain information about, among others, biological activity in the water body, possible transport of organic matter from soil, and the phenomenon of photobleaching that decreases both the absorbance and (usually) the fluorescence of natural organic matter. Interestingly, all these phenomena can be affected by climate change, which could alter to different extents the ratio between aquagenic and pedogenic fluorophores. Several events induced by warming in natural waters (and especially lake water) could enhance algal growth, thereby also enhancing the production of aquagenic organic matter. Intense precipitation events could increase the export of pedogenic material to surface waters, while photobleaching would be enhanced in the epilimnion of lakes when summer stratification becomes longer and more stable because of higher temperatures. Interestingly, photobleaching affects humic substances to a higher extent compared to protein-like material, thus protein fluorescence signals could be more preserved in stratified waters.

Nitrogen deposition from air pollution is increasingly reaching alpine lakes where the addition of nitrate and ammonium to sensitive surface waters can cause acidification and/or eutrophication. Thirty years of sampling in the Wind River Range, WY, has shown some lakes increasing in nitrogen. We sought to (1) determine if nutrient concentrations in Deep Lake increase during snowmelt when atmospheric deposition is released from the snowpack and (2) assess if the sampling season, location, meteorological factors, and time of day samples are collected influence lake chemistry metrics, to inform monitoring. We analyzed water samples from the outlet of Deep Lake in peak snowmelt (June) and from the inlet, outlet, and middle of Deep Lake when the basin was snow free (August). In June, outlet samples were more acidic, and nitrogen content was three times August levels. Acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) declined with snowmelt. August inlet samples were higher in nutrients than outlet and mid-lake samples. Our results indicate that atmospheric pollution in the snowpack enters the lake with snowmelt. Although Deep Lake has not acidified, ANC levels indicate a risk of episodic acidification if nitrogen deposition continues to increase. When monitoring lakes at risk for episodic acidification, sampling during the late snowmelt pulse should be prioritized. Simplified sampling protocols may be used in some lakes, as epilimnion and outlet samples were nearly identical. The time of day and cloud cover did not affect lake chemistry, while wind speed and precipitation weakly increased August ANC and June pH, respectively.

Climate change conditions were indicated in the watershed of Lake Kinneret: air and consequently water temperature increase, decline in rainfall, and diminish river discharges accompanied by a reduction in Epilimnetic nitrogen and a slight increase in phosphorus. It is suggested that warming trend of the Kinneret Epilimnion enhanced decline of Zooplankton Biodiversity Index (ZBDI).

Hypoxia formation and breakdown were tracked during 2015 in Muskegon Lake estuary at multiple locations, and five years (2011–2015) of time-series buoy observatory data were evaluated for the effect of episodic wind-events on lake mixing. Bi-weekly water temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) profiles at four locations revealed that hypoxia occurred at all sites and persisted for 2–3 months during summer 2015. On one date in late-summer, up to 24% of the lake’s volume was estimated to be mildly hypoxic (DO 7.7 m s−1 for 10 h), indicated that while the wind was unable to completely mix the entire water column, it deepened the epilimnion by ∼1.5 m and sheared a thin layer from the upper hypolimnion. By entraining internally loaded nutrients, such episodic wind-events may initiate and sustain algal blooms in nutrient limited surface waters. Quantifying the variable role of wind and mixing events will be key to integrating limnological processes into climate models of the future.

Changes in phytoplankton community composition and structure can have broad-scale ecosystem effects; however, drivers of species diversity in planktonic systems are not well understood. In lakes, a common but not thoroughly tested assumption is that shallow, nearshore waters are much more diverse and productive, and contribute considerably more material and energy to pelagic food webs than deeper waters farther offshore. Lake Superior is a large, cold, oligotrophic freshwater system which can provide insight into community organization under oligotrophic conditions. We used epilimnion and deep chlorophyll layer phytoplankton data from a lake-wide sampling program conducted in 2011 and 2016 to test whether assemblage composition, total algal biovolume, cell concentrations, diversity, and richness vary with depth. Although lake depth was an important factor in structuring assemblage composition, there were no clear nearshore-offshore gradients in cell density or biovolume despite the exposure of nearshore areas to higher concentrations of watershed-derived nutrients. Shannon diversity increased slightly with increasing depth, whereas richness was uncorrelated. Understanding of the nearshore-offshore patterns in phytoplankton community characteristics in the Great Lakes has implications for designing monitoring strategies and for considering how further changes in climate and nutrient deposition would affect the base of the food web.

—Studies of epilimnion, metalimnion, and hypolimnion are of great importance for understanding the vertical structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems. The present article reports new facts related to the stratification of freshwater ecosystems. In particular, the concentration of dissolved oxygen, temperature, and hydrobiological parameters at depths from 0 to 30 m of Glubokoe Lake (Moscow oblast) were determined. The metalimnion (thermocline) which is characterized by a high vertical temperature gradient was found to accumulate a large amount of detritus and contain increased amounts of bacteria and algae cells (phytoplankton). The increased content of organic matter and aquatic organisms is responsible for intense degradation processes which lead to depletion of oxygen.

The main threat to lakes in Ukrainian climate condition is factors increasing the rate of eutrophication, which results in phytoplankton growth and the general deterioration of water quality. The balance between complex of organic compounds and the oxygen in the water is disturbed. Natural oxygenation of deep water layers needs a lot of time, because it relies on the diffusion of oxygen from the epilimnion layer. The intensity of the diffusion processes is largely insufficient, especially in summer. The technology of reclamation of lake by technical method in the conditions of location of the meteorological station in Rava-Ruska is considered in the article. The experience and results of the work of Polish scientists are analyzed. Some positive results were noted when applying in the reclamation of natural and artificial reservoirs by pulverising water aerator that sprays water in the air. The distribution of pulverising water aerators used for lake reclamation is presented. A wind driven pulverising water aerator by Podsiadlovsky's concept was described. This technology involves the use of wind energy for oxygen saturation in the lower lake area. The work of the aerator provides formation on the cumulative depth of living space. In this space, phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish that feed there are intensively developing. Regular fish catches can reduce the lake trophy and systematically improve the quality of the water. Pulverization aerator of water with wind driven air in the conditions of the location of the weather station in Rava-Ruska can provide dissolution of oxygen in the bottom waters ranging from 4.86 to 5.53 g·m-3. The lowest concentrations of dissolved oxygen in water occur in July and August (4.86 g·m-3), while the highest (>5.24 g·m-3) is from October to May. A nomogram has been worked out and described to determine the oxygen content dissolved in water during the month, as a result of the operation of a pulverising water aerator with the location of Rava-Ruska meteorological station conditions. It is recommended to use a pulverizing water aerator with a wind drive for the reclamation of lakes in Ukraine.

Atmospheric changes are leading to the browning of northern lakes (i.e. increases in catchment‐derived dissolved organic matter [DOM]), consequently altering phytoplankton biomass and community composition. We hypothesised that lake browning and the concurrent increase in nutrients drive a shift towards greater cyanobacteria biomass. We further hypothesised that, as a consequence of this shift in phytoplankton, the content of ω‐3 (n‐3) essential fatty acids (EFA) in seston would decline, affecting the subsequent transfer of EFA to consumers across the plant–animal interface in pelagic regions of lakes. We tested these hypotheses in the epilimnion of 30 temperate lakes in Ontario (Canada), representing a gradient of lake browning, with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) ranging from 2 to 10 mg/L and total phosphorus ranging from 6.0 to 48.5 μg/L. In each of these lakes, the concentration and composition of DOM, the biomass of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria, and the EFA content of seston, cladocerans, and copepods were measured. An increase in aromatic DOM was associated with increased phytoplankton and cyanobacteria biomass. Due to the lower content of the EFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n‐3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n‐3) in cyanobacteria, this increase in phytoplankton biomass was associated with a decline in EPA and DHA content in lake seston. However, there was no significant change in EFA content of cladocerans and copepods. This homeostatic (diet‐independent) EFA composition in zooplankton suggested that, as the phytoplankton community shifted towards more cyanobacteria with lower EFA content, the cladocerans and copepods may have met their nutritional requirements by relying on alternative food sources (e.g. heterotrophic ciliates and flagellates) capable of either trophically upgrading phytoplankton‐produced EPA and DHA, or synthesising EPA and DHA de novo. Results from this study indicate that increasing DOC from low (2 mg DOC/L) to moderate levels (15 mg DOC/L) may increase the importance of the microbial pathway in the trophic transfer of EPA and DHA from basal resources to zooplankton. However, this supplementary transfer of EFA through the microbial food web may not sustain high EPA and DHA levels in zooplankton when lake browning starts to limit primary production (>15 mg DOC/L).

Freshwater ecosystems are recognized as one of the important natural methane (CH4) sources, but little is known about the emission hotspots and the effects of algal blooms on CH4 production in deep lakes. In this study, carried out from the littoral (S1), pelagic (S2-S4), and the deepest site (S5), water samples from different depths and sediment cores were collected along the transect of Lake Fuxian, a deep monomictic lake to investigate the spatial-temporal variations of CH4. Dissolved methane concentration observed at the oxic metalimnion was 37.5% and 19.5% higher than that those observed at the epilimnion and at the layer between 80 and 100 m depth, respectively. During the overturn period, the vertical distribution of CH4 in the water column was uniform, with an average concentration of 0.031 ± 0.007 μM in S2-S5. Statistical analysis indicated that the CH4 concentration in the water column was significantly higher in S1 than other sites along the transect during both sampling periods. Sediment CH4 concentration and methane production potential (MPP) were also significantly higher in S1 than in other sites. Along the sediment depth, the maximum MPP was observed at 6-8 cm in S1, but it moved up to the surface layer in S2-S5 in both sampling periods. In addition, stable carbon isotope analysis indicated that the surface sediments in the pelagic zone (S2-S5) mainly comprised autochthonous organic matters. In this zone, MPP had a significantly positive correlation with sediment total organic carbon (TOC) (R2 = 0.401, p < 0.01). In summary, we described the spatial and temporal distributions of CH4 in deep Lake Fuxian, littoral zones are CH4 emission hotspots that can contribute to the CH4 accumulation in the oxic metalimnion layer during the stratification period. In the pelagic zone, autochthonous organic matter was transported into the surface sediment after a massive algal bloom, representing another hotspot for CH4 production.

In order to advance our understanding of the driving factors controlling carbon dynamics and evolution of water quality in river-reservoir systems for the generation of hydropower, we conducted a study in a karst deep-water reservoir (Wujiangdu Reservoir), southwest China. Water samples were collected from the inflow/outflow of the Wujiangdu Reservoir, four vertical columns along the reservoir, and from three tributaries to the reservoir in January, April, July, and October 2017. The dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations and carbon isotope composition (δ13CDIC) varied greatly (1.99–3.45 mmol/L and −10.7‰ to −6.0‰, respectively) and were controlled by multiple processes including CO2 outgassing, primary production, and organic matter degradation. In the four vertical profiles, the difference between the values of samples with those at 15 m of Δ[DIC] and Δ[δ13CDIC], Δ[DIC] and ΔCa2+ in the same water column had positive correlations, and the variation in dissolved O2, partial pressure of CO2, and flux of CO2 suggested that primary production dominated above the epilimnion and degradation of OM dominated below the epilimnion during the warm season. Continuous CO2 outgassing was found from riverine water to surface water of the reservoir before the dam based on carbon isotopic compositions and water chemistry. These processes would cause isotopic fractionation between the residual DIC and CO2 (aqueous), the degree of which varied among different seasons (July > April > October > January). Carbon transport and biogeochemical processes were highly controlled by the hydraulic retention time (HRT) in the river-reservoir system. It was estimated that approximately 71.5% of the annual DIC flux was produced in the water column below 15 m depth during the study year, suggesting that the processes of DIC generation and consumption occurred at the same time. The results highlight that carbon behavior in the impounded rivers is influenced by multiple processes. The carbon transformation processes should be taken into account for improving the estimation accuracy of the carbon budget calculations and the management of water quality for river-reservoir systems.

This article deals with spatio-temporal changes in methane emission from the surface of the Mozhaisk reservoir. Seasonal changes in methane content and flux were revealed for different morphological areas of the reservoir, based on field observation data obtained in 2015–2018. In the low-flow Mozhaisk reservoir, the methane content in the boundary and bottom layers of the deep-water areas at the end of the summer stratification period may differ by three orders of magnitude. According to results from measuring with floating chambers in the central area of the reservoir from early June to the end of the period of direct stratification (August–September) the total methane flux increased from less than 1 to 16 mgC-CH4/(m2/hr). Time-coincident measurements with floating chambers of two types revealed characteristic values of the methane flux components and their change over the sampling period. It was found that at the period of stratification the diffusive flux predominates with the mean values 0.2 mgC-CH4/(m2/hr). A further increase in the total methane flux is associated with an increase of its bubble component. According to calculations, the diffusive flux reaches its maximum values in late summer in the shallow zone of the reservoir. It is established that a significant increase of the values of the total methane flux is observed when the upper boundary of the oxygen-free zone reaches the lower boundary of the epilimnion. The methane flux density reaches its largest values prior to destruction of the direct stratification. Comparison of field measurements with literature data showed that the magnitude of emission from reservoirs with a slow water exchange in the temperate zone can be underestimated in the evaluation of global methane emission.

Impounding alters the carbon transport in rivers. To quantify this effect, we measured CO2 effluxes from a mountainous valley-type reservoir in the upper Mekong River (known as Lancang River in China). CO2 evasion rates from the reservoir surface were 408±337 mg CO2 m −2 d −1 in the dry season and 305±262 mg CO2 m −2 d −1 in the rainy season much lower than those from the riverine channels ( 1567±2312 mg CO2 m −2 d −1 at the main stem and 905±1536 mg CO2 m −2 d −1 at the tributary). Low effluxes in the pelagic area were caused by low allochthonous organic carbon (OC) inputs and photosynthetic uptake of CO2 . A negative relationship between CO2 efflux and water temperature suggested CO2 emissions at the pelagic area were partly offset by photosynthesis in the warmer rainy season. CO2 emissions from the reservoir outlet and littoral area, which were usually considered hotspots of CO2 emissions, had a low contribution to the total emission because of epilimnion water spilling and a small area of the littoral zones. Yet at the river inlets effluxes were much higher in the dry season than in the rainy season because different mixing modes occurred in the two seasons. When the river joined the receiving waterbody in the dry season, warmer and lighter inflow became an overflow and large amounts of CO2 were released to the atmosphere as the overflow contacted the atmosphere directly. Extended water retention time due to water storage might also help mineralization of OC. In the wet season, however, colder, turbid and heavier inflow plunged into the reservoir and was discharged downstream for hydroelectricity, leaving insufficient time for decomposition of OC. Besides, diurnal efflux variability indicated that the effluxes were significantly higher in the nighttime than in the daytime, which increased the estimated annual emission rate by half.

Habitat occupancy patterns of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in two large Canadian Shield lakes were modelled based on detections of fish from repeated depth‐stratified surveys over several summers. Lake trout and lake whitefish consistently occupied sites outside traditional thermal envelopes and were not detected at some sites within these ranges. This included the metalimnion and shallow epilimnion for lake trout and lake whitefish in Lake Opeongo. Physical habitat covariates were not important in defining lake trout habitat in both lakes. Physical habitat as represented by the hardness/softness gradient based on acoustic substrate surveys was important for lake whitefish in Lake Opeongo but not in Smoke Lake. In addition, thermal envelopes for lake whitefish differed between the lakes possibly because of differences in substrate slope. The wash zone of lakes, where the thermocline contacts the substrate, appears to be a physical habitat feature for lake whitefish in some lakes. Lake whitefish also exhibited diurnal activity behaviour that was reflected through greater detection rates in the morning versus the afternoon. By accounting for imperfect detection, true estimated overall occupancy of lake trout and lake whitefish increased 0.15–0.30 over naive occupancy. Thermal habitat envelopes for lake trout and lake whitefish are wider than previously thought. Lake trout occupied a consistent thermal habitat envelope while lake whitefish varied between lakes likely because of lake specific differences in basin morphology and wash zone.

Dam construction in arid and semiarid regions is generally related to the risk of increased salinity, due to water passage in contact with salty formations. Hence, it is important to take reservoir thermal and salinity stratification into account in operational rules. In the present study, a simulation–optimization model was developed to determine the amount of water release from various outlets to discharge the brine from hypolimnion layer considering the downstream water quality limitations. The most appropriate time, rate, and concentration to release brine were determined based on water consumption conditions and downstream water demand and river ecology characteristics. The proposed methodology was used to improve the water quality condition of Gotvand Dam constructed over Karun River in southwest Iran. The dissolution of the Gachsaran formation located in Gotvand Dam reservoir has gradually increased the salinity of hypolimnion layer water three times more than that of the seawater salinity. The results indicated that late winter is the most appropriate time to release brine water. If the brine water is not released, the very salty water gradually encompasses the epilimnion layer when the reservoir dead storage is filled with sediment. Results show that the TDS concentration of epilimnion layer gradually increases until 8000 mg/l by increasing the volume of reservoir sediments, which may be regarded as the source of economic, social, and environmental crisis.

Perkins KR, Rollwagen-Bollens G, Bollens SM, Harrison JA. 2019. Variability in the vertical distribution of chlorophyll in a spill-managed temperate reservoir. Lake Reserve Manage. 35:119–126. Phytoplankton form the base of pelagic food webs, and as aquatic systems come under increasing pressure from environmental stressors, managers are becoming more concerned about how these pressures may result in changes to phytoplankton distribution and abundance. The vertical distribution of phytoplankton, including the phenomenon of subsurface chlorophyll a (Chl-a) maxima (SCM), is known to vary widely, with a combination of biotic and abiotic processes hypothesized to be driving this variation. We examined how the vertical distribution of Chl-a generally, and SCM specifically, varied over 4 years (2013–2016) in a managed temperate reservoir (Lacamas Lake, Washington, USA) that experiences rapid (2–3 weeks) release of water from within the epilimnion each autumn. Seasonally, a strong thermocline developed each spring at depths of 5–10 m, and persisted throughout summer and early autumn. Although temperature varied somewhat between years, elevated concentrations of Chl-a occurred in spring and summer of each year. In addition, pronounced SCM of 30–60 µg/L at depths of 2–8 m were observed each year, and were nearly always above the thermocline. There was no “seasonal deepening” of SCM in Lacamas Lake, as has been observed in several other lakes and oceans, and annual drawdown events in early fall had little to no effect on SCM in Lacamas Lake. We recommend that more process-oriented studies be undertaken to fully understand which biotic and abiotic processes are driving the formation and maintenance of SCM in lakes and reservoirs, and how SCM are modulated by different reservoir drawdown practices.

This study examined vertically-resolved patterns in microbial community structure across a freshwater trophic gradient extending 1600 km from the oligotrophic waters of Lake Superior to the eutrophic waters of Lake Erie, the most anthropogenically influenced of the Laurentian Great Lakes system. Planktonic bacterial communities clustered by Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) on UniFrac distance matrices into four groups representing the epilimnion and hypolimnion of the upper Great Lakes (Lakes Superior and Huron), Lake Superior's northern bays (Nipigon and Black bays), and Lake Erie. The microbes within the upper Great Lakes hypolimnion were the most divergent of these groups with elevated abundance of Planctomycetes and Chloroflexi compared to the surface mixed layer. Statistical tests of the correlation between distance matrices identified temperature and sample depth as the most influential community structuring parameters, reflecting the strong UniFrac clustering separating mixed-layer and hypolimnetic samples. Analyzing mixed-layer samples alone showed clustering patterns were correlated with nutrient concentrations. Operational taxonomic units (OTU) which were differentially distributed among these conditions often accounted for a large portion of the reads returned. While limited in coverage of temporal variability, this study contributes a detailed description of community variability that can be related to other large freshwater systems characterized by changing trophic state.

The zooplankton fauna and the relationship with their environmental variables were investigated on the epilimnion layer of the seven reservoirs (Demirdöven, Devegeçidi, Menzelet, Sır, Ömerli, Porsuk, Tahtalı) of different regions (Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean, Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, Southeastern Anatolia) throughout the summer months (2015) in Turkey. According to the trophic conditions reservoirs varied between oligo- and eutrophic status. Chlorophylla concentration, measured for the estimation of primary production, was determined considerably high along the investigation period. A total of 62 zooplankton species were identified with the contribution of 44 rotifers, nine cladocerans and nine copepods. Except one reservoir, all of the others were dominated by rotifera group, and also in each study site dominant taxa were changed at species level. On the other hand common dominant taxa for all reservoirs was the rotifer Polyarthra vulgaris Carlin, 1943 with 95 % frequency. In terms of zooplankton species, most of the studied reservoirs showed less than 50% similarities, due to their different limnological conditions and different geographic locations. Reservoirs in high trophic conditions in the present study were represented by low species diversity. Water quality in the reservoirs with respect to biological data were determined as ß-mesosaprobic. The using limnological and biological indices to determine water quality were consistent. Densities of main zooplankton groups, and also frequent species of the reservoirs correlated with epilimnion layer depths and total phoshorus concentrations significantly. On the other hand rotifera variation was affected mainly by physical variables (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, conductivity), and crustacean variations were related with total phoshorus. The comperative assessment between limnological variables and zooplankton community in this reservoirs was studied for the first time.

HPLC-ICPMS was used to analyze the spatiotemporal variation of As species in different sections and tributaries of the Aha Reservoir over four seasons, and the migration and transformation mechanisms were clarified by combined analysis of hydrochemical parameters and microbial composition. The results showed that the internal release of As from the reservoir sediments is mainly due to the reduction of iron oxide and the release of adsorbed As(V). The average proportion of As(III) increased from 27.2% in autumn to 46.5% in summer, 68.9% in winter, and up to 70.8% in spring. In spring and summer, the high concentration of As(III) and organic arsenic in the epilimnion under phosphorus restriction was caused by the reductive metabolism of phytoplankton after intake of As(V). The arsenic species in the metalimnion were mainly affected by the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). In summer and autumn, As-oxidizing bacteria used As(III) as an electron donor, and nitrate played an important role as an electron acceptor, maintaining the dominance of As(V) in the hypolimnion. However, in winter and spring, temperature-controlled ORP was the main process, which was dominated by As(III). In conclusion, As species show annual cycles in different layers of seasonally thermal stratified reservoirs. It provides a systematic mechanism of As species transformation in reservoirs, especially the effect of biological transformation mechanism.

A simple 1-D energy budget model (SIMO) for the prediction of the vertical temperature profiles in small, monomictic lakes forced by a reduced number of input meteorological variables is proposed. The model estimates the net heat flux and thermal diffusion using only routinely measured hourly mean meteorological variables (namely, the air temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed, and precipitation), hourly mean ultraviolet B radiation (UVB), and climatological monthly mean cloudiness data. Except for the initial vertical temperature profile, the model does not use any lake-specific variables. The model performance was evaluated against lake temperatures measured continuously during an observational campaign in two lakes belonging to the Plitvice Lakes, Croatia (Lake 1 and Lake 12). Temperatures were measured at 15 and 16 depths ranging from 0.2 to 27 in Lake 1 (maximum depth of 37.4 m) and 0.2 to 43 m in Lake 12 (maximum depth of 46 m). A sensitivity analysis of the simulation length was performed for simulation lengths from 1 to 30 days. The model performed reasonably well and it was able to satisfactorily reproduce the vertical temperature profile at the hourly scale, the deepening of the thermocline with time, and the annual variation in the vertical temperature profile. A yearlong simulation initiated with an approximately constant vertical profile of the lake temperature (≈ 4 °C) was able to reproduce the onset of stratification and convective overturn. However, the thermocline depth was underestimated while the epilimnion temperatures were overestimated. Nevertheless, the values of the model performance measures obtained for a yearlong simulation were comparable with those reported for other more complex models. Thus, the presented model can be used for the assessment of the onset and duration of lake stratification periods when water temperature data are unavailable, which can be useful for various lake studies performed in other scientific fields, such as biology, geochemistry, and sedimentology.

One of the disposal methods for biosolids (nutrient rich organic matter that settles out of the wastewater during wastewater treatment process) is through application on agricultural fields as organic fertilizer. In order to determine the effects of runoff originating from biosolids treated fields on the nitrogen biogeochemical cycle and eutrophication of surface water, a lab-scale mesocosm experiment was carried out, simulating agricultural fields and thermally stratified water systems receiving agricultural runoff. A significant difference was found between the effects of the runoff from unfertilized soil plots and plots fertilized with biosolids. The findings indicate that the majority of incoming nitrogen is either denitrifed, lost to the sediment or is accumulated in the water column as nitrate. Further, it is hypothesised that the majority of incoming organic nitrogen was rapidly mineralized to ammonium in the hypolimnion, which has the potential to increase nitrogen bioavailability to primary producers in the epilimnion.

In this study, we analysed how short term temperature fluctuation interacts with nutrient limitation in the vertical migrating Daphnia commutata. We hypothesize that short term (daily) temperature fluctuation will alleviate nutrient limitation. We carried out experiments analysing growth rates, phosphorus and RNA content of D. commutate grown under four different temperature regimes and two P-limited conditions. Our experiments showed that individuals grown under fluctuating temperature grew more than at the mean temperature. We estimated the expected sizes for the 15 °C treatment based on the Q10 and for the fluctuating temperature treatment. These expected sizes for both treatments resulted well below the observed ones. The P and RNA content of individuals grown at 10 °C were significantly higher than those at 20 °C, and when individuals grown at 10 °C were translocated to 20 °C they exerted an increased growth rate. Our results suggest that, under a regime of diel vertical migration, the temperature alternation would allow migrating organisms to alleviate the effect of severe nutrient limitation maintaining population growth. Under a scenario of global warming, where epilimnetic temperatures will increase, lake temperature will interact with nutrient limitation for consumers, but, organisms may be able to face these changes if they can still regularly move from a cold hypolimnion to a warmer epilimnion.

Predicting the ecosystem effects of invasive species and the best control strategies requires understanding population dynamics and population regulation. Invasive bivalves zebra and quagga mussels (Dreissena spp.) are considered the most aggressive invaders in freshwaters and have become major drivers of ecosystem processes in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Combining all lake-wide studies of Dreissena spp. conducted in the Great Lakes, we found that invasion dynamics are largely governed by lake morphometry. Where both species are present, quagga mussels generally become dominant in 8–13 years. Thereafter, zebra mussels remain common in shallow lakes and embayments and lake-wide Dreissena density may remain similar, while in deep lakes quagga led to a near-complete displacement of zebra mussels and an ensuing dramatic increase in overall dreissenid density. In deep lakes, overall Dreissena biomass peaked later and achieved ~ threefold higher levels than in shallow lakes. Comparison with 21 waterbodies in North America and Europe colonized by both dreissenids confirmed that patterns of invasion dynamics found in the Great Lakes are very consistent with other waterbodies, and thus can be generalized to other lakes. Our biophysical model predicted that the long-term reduction in primary producers by mussel grazing may be fourfold less in deep compared to shallow lakes due to thermal stratification and a smaller proportion of the epilimnion in contact with the bottom. While this impact remains greatest in shallow areas, we show that when lakes are vertically well-mixed, dreissenid grazing impact may be greatest offshore, revealing a potentially strong offshore carbon and phosphorus sink.

A mathematical model connecting epilimnion and hypolimnion is proposed to describe the competition of phytoplankton for nutrients and light in a stratified lake. The existence and stability of nonnegative steady-state solutions are completely characterized for all possible parameter ranges by means of stability analysis, bifurcation theory, and extensive simulations. The critical thresholds for settling speed of phytoplankton cells in the thermocline and the loss rate of phytoplankton are established, which determine the survival or extirpation of phytoplankton in epilimnion and hypolimnion. In particular, it is shown that in two extreme cases, the principle of competitive exclusion always holds in a stratified lake. We also consider the influence of environmental parameters on the vertical distribution and biomass density of phytoplankton via a systematic sensitivity analysis, and investigate their roles in phytoplankton blooms. These results can be used for the prediction of phytoplankton competition and blooms in a stratified lake.

The increase of affected river reaches by reservoirs has drastically disturbed the original hydrological conditions, and subsequently influenced the nutrient biogeochemistry in the aquatic system, particularly in the cascade reservoir system. To understand the seasonal variation of nitrogen (N) behaviors in cascade reservoirs, hydrochemistry and nitrate dual isotopes (δ15N-NO3− andδ18O-NO3−) were conducted in a karst watershed (Wujiang River) in southwest China. The results showed that NO3−–N accounted for almost 90% of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) concentration with high average concentration 3.8 ± 0.4 mg/L among four cascade reservoirs. Higher N concentration (4.0 ± 0.8 mg/L) and larger longitudinal variation were observed in summer than in other seasons. The relationship between the variation of NO3−–N and dual isotopes in the profiles demonstrated that nitrification was dominated transformation, while assimilation contributed significantly in the epilimnion during spring and summer. The high dissolved oxygen concentration in the present cascade reservoirs system prevented the occurrence of N depletion processes in most of the reservoirs. Denitrification occurred in the oldest reservoir during winter with a rate ranging from 18 % to 28 %. The long-term record of surface water TDN concentration in reservoirs demonstrated an increase from 2.0 to 3.6 mg/L during the past two decades (~ 0.1 mg/L per year). The seasonal nitrate isotopic signature and continuously increased fertilizer application demonstrated that chemical fertilizer contribution significantly influenced NO3−–N concentration in the karst cascade reservoirs. The research highlighted that the notable N increase in karst cascade reservoirs could influence the aquatic health in the region and further investigations were required.

Carbonate shells and encrustations from lacustrine organisms provide proxy records of past environmental and climatic changes. The carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of such carbonates depends on the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Their oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O) is controlled by the δ18O of the lake water and by water temperature during carbonate precipitation. Lake water δ18O, in turn, reflects the δ18O of atmospheric precipitation in the catchment area, water residence time and mixing, and evaporation. A paleoclimatic interpretation of carbonate isotope records requires a site-specific calibration based on an understanding of these local conditions. For this study, samples of different biogenic carbonate components and water were collected in the littoral zone of Lake Locknesjön, central Sweden (62.99∘ N, 14.85∘ E, 328 ma.s.l.) along a water depth gradient from 1 to 8 m. Carbonate samples of living organisms and subfossil remains in surface sediments were taken from the calcifying alga Chara hispida, from bivalve mollusks of the genus Pisidium, and from adult and juvenile instars of two ostracod species, Candona candida and Candona neglecta. Our results show that neither the isotopic composition of carbonates nor the δ18O of water vary significantly with water depth, indicating a well-mixed epilimnion. The mean δ13C of Chara hispida encrustations is 4 ‰ higher than the other carbonates. This is due to fractionation related to photosynthesis, which preferentially incorporates 12C into the organic matter and increases the δ13C of the encrustations. A small effect of photosynthetic 13C enrichment in DIC is seen in contemporaneously formed valves of juvenile ostracods. The largest differences in the mean carbonate δ18O between species are caused by vital offsets, i.e., the species-specific deviations from the δ18O of inorganic carbonate which would have been precipitated in isotopic equilibrium with the water. After subtraction of these offsets, the remaining differences in the mean carbonate δ18O between species can mainly be attributed to seasonal water temperature changes. The lowest δ18O values are observed in Chara hispida encrustations, which form during the summer months when photosynthesis is most intense. Adult ostracods, which calcify their valves during the cold season, display the highest δ18O values. The seasonal and interannual variability in lake water δ18O is small (∼ 0.5 ‰) due to the long water residence time in the lake. Seasonal changes in the temperature-dependent fractionation are therefore the dominant cause of carbonate δ18O differences between species when vital offsets are corrected. Temperature reconstructions based on paleotemperature equations for equilibrium carbonate precipitation using the mean δ18O of each species and the mean δ18O of lake water are well in agreement with the observed seasonal water temperature range. The high carbonate δ18O variability of samples within a species, on the other hand, leads to a large scatter in the reconstructed temperatures based on individual samples. This implies that care must be taken to obtain a representative sample size for paleotemperature reconstructions.

Thermal stratification is considered to be the most important limnological feature of deep lake ecosystems affecting a water column’s chemical characteristics thereby directly connected with lake management. The lake is also attracting the attention of management authorities, being a growing tourist destination with sustainable environmental management plan. Lake Manasbal is only true warm monomictic urban lake in Kashmir and remains thermally stratified for 8–9 months, with separate layers of epilimnion, metalimnion and hypolimnion.We noticed that in the lower part of the hypolimnion, the process of stratification is characterized by an oxygen deficit (O2 < 1 mg/L). The rate of oxygen depletion reported in the lake’s bottom layers is indicative of the water body’s more eutrophic nature. A clinograde type of pH curve with a wide range of fluctuation from top to bottom layers of water was observed. Thermal stratification of the lake allows ammonium and phosphates to pool in the hypolimnion for much of the stratification period, resulting in concentrations higher than in the epilimnion. Consequently, the lake was characterized by a nutrient-enriched hypolimnion and an epilimnion deprived of nutrients. With the advent of the lake stratification, the thermocline was formed on 15th March between 2 and 3 m and on 7th April between 4 and 6 m, which gradually moved down to 10 m on 4th July and remained at that depth until circulation. The concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen in Lake Manasbal showed an increase towards the bottom, thus revealing an inverse clinograde depth distribution. Due to stratification phenomena in this lake, the internal release and subsequent distribution of nutrients throughout water column especially phosphorus from sediment water interface after mixing is a cause of concern for management authorities as it has the potential to diminish the ecological and aesthetics of the lake.Therefore, we argue that this study will provide some valuable insights on how stratification is affecting the nutrient dynamics and will offer inputs for better management accordingly both from ecological and economic perspectives.

In extratropical environments, air temperature affects a lake’s circulation based on the changes in density with temperature. In early autumn, when a lake begins to cool, its waters become denser, sink, and are replaced by warmer waters from the depths, which are, in turn, cooled, leading to reverse stratification, with colder surface waters floating on slightly warmer and denser deep waters. In spring, as the temperature of the surface water rises from near freezing to 4 °C, its density increases, it sinks and colder waters rise to the surface, bringing nutrients upward. This process ensures a slow warming of the lake compared to the land. After the entire water column is above maximum density, a more rapid warm-up occurs. The warmed surface water then literally floats on the colder, denser water beneath—a condition known as stratification. The period when the lake is cooler than the air above, it is known as the stable season, and the time when the lake is warmer than the land is known as the unstable season. The layer above the thermocline—the level in a water body where the sharpest gradients of temperature exist—is called the epilimnion (i.e., the upper lake), and the layer below the thermocline in a lake is called the hypolimnion (i.e., the lower lake). It is very difficult for the lake circulation to cross the thermocline, creating implications for lake circulation. A standing wave in a lake or semi-enclosed sea, known as a seiche, can be hazardous.

Many lakes across the world are entering novel states and experiencing altered biogeochemical cycling due to local anthropogenic stressors. In the tropics, understanding the drivers of these changes can be difficult due to a lack of documented historic conditions or an absence of continuous monitoring that can distinguish between intra- and inter-annual variation. Over the last forty years (1980-2020), Lake Yojoa (Honduras) has experienced increased watershed development as well as the introduction of a large net-pen Tilapia farm, resulting in a dramatic reduction in seasonal water clarity, increased trophic state and altered nutrient dynamics, shifting Lake Yojoa from an oligotrophic (low productivity) to mesotrophic (moderate productivity) ecosystem. To assess the changes that have occurred in Lake Yojoa as well as putative drivers for those changes, we compared Secchi depth (water clarity), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations at continuous semi-monthly intervals for the three years between 1979-1983 and again at continuous 16-day intervals for 2018-2020. Between those two periods we observed the loss of a clear water phase that previously occurred in the months when the water column was fully mixed. Seasonal peaks in DIN coincident with mixing suggest that an enhanced accumulation of ammonium in the hypolimnion (the bottom layer of a stratified lake) during stratification, and release to the epilimnion (the top layer of a stratified lake) with mixing maintains high algal abundance and subsequently low secchi depth during what was previously the clear water phase. This interaction of nutrient loading and Lake Yojoa’s monomictic stratification regime illustrates a key phenomenon in how physical water column structure and nutrients interact in tropical monomictic lakes. This work highlights the need to consider nutrient dynamics of warm anoxic hypolimnions, not just surface water nutrient concentrations, to understand environmental change in these societally important but understudied ecosystems.

Freshwaters are important emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) to the atmosphere, two potent greenhouse gases (GHG). While aquatic surface GHG fluxes have been extensively measured, there is much less information about their underlying sources. In lakes and reservoirs, surface GHG can originate from horizontal riverine flow, the hypolimnion, littoral sediments, and water column metabolism. These processes are generally studied separately, leading to a fragmented assessment of their relative role in sustaining CO2 and CH4 surface fluxes. In this study, we quantified sources/sinks of CO2 and CH4 in the epilimnion along a hydrological continuum in a permanently stratified tropical reservoir (Borneo Island). Results showed that horizontal inputs are an important source of both CO2 and CH4 (18 to 100 % of surface emissions) in the upstream reservoir branches. However, this contribution fades along the hydrological continuum, becoming negligible in the main basin of the reservoir, where CO2 and CH4 are uncoupled and driven by different processes. In the main basin, vertical CO2 inputs and sediment CH4 inputs contributed to on average 60 and 23 % respectively to the surface fluxes of the corresponding gas. Water column metabolism exhibited wide amplitude and range for both gases, making it the most influential but uncertain component in the epilimnetic gas budgets. Overall our results show that while sources sustaining surface CO2 and CH4 fluxes vary spatially and between the two gases, internal water metabolism remains a dominant driver. However, this study also highlights challenges and knowledge gaps related to estimating ecosystem-scale CO2 and CH4 metabolism, which hinder aquatic GHG flux predictions.

This study aimed to evaluate the importance of physical, chemical and biological factors (e.g., chlorophyll-a, and carbon) in the regulation of the summer epilimnion thickness (Zmix) of the tropical lakes focusing on trends of the current environmental variability. We sampled a set of tropical lakes from the middle Rio Doce lacustrine system (Minas Gerais, Brazil) for two consecutive summers. Besides Zmix, we analyzed the visible light attenuation (KdPAR), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), total suspended solids (TSS), and fetch. We also analyze the quality of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) through colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), spectral slope (S), DOC-specific absorbance (SUVA) and the ratio between the absorbance at 250 nm and 365 nm (E250:365). Our results showed quite different results during the two years studied. In the summer of 2012, when there was higher rainfall, variations in Zmix were correlated to the optical factors associated with DOM quality, while in the drier summer of 2013 Chl-a, TSS and fetch were the variables that more explained Zmix. It suggests that DOM regulates the Zmix in the rainy periods in the studied tropical lakes and that control is determined by the balance between the DOM input (runoff) and output (such as photodegradation) of the aquatic systems. In reduced rain conditions (summer 2013), the factors responsible by chemistry photodegradation of DOM were predominant, and the organic matter was no longer controlling Zmix, which was driven by internal mixing, productivity, and the wind (Chl-a, TSS and fetch). In this study we showed how changes in precipitation might cause shifts in the factors that regulate the epilimnion thickness in tropical lakes.

Autochthonous calcite precipitation is an important process for C-fixation in hard-water lakes, which is mainly induced by the photosynthesis of planktonic microorganisms. Among these, the widespread calcifying green alga Phacotus lenticularis (Ehrenberg) Diesing contributes to biogenic calcite precipitation in temperate regions. Its role in carbonate precipitation needs to be investigated, because there are no studies dedicated to the quantitative contribution of Phacotus shells to long term carbonate sequestration in hard-water lake sediments. In order to fill this gap, the Phacotus shell content in the sediments of four German hard-water lakes was determined and compared to the fraction of Phacotus shells in the total suspended autochthonous calcite of the euphotic zone.It was found that the Phacotus shells contributed at least 10% to the autochthonous carbonate precipitation in the upper water column in three investigated lakes. During a Phacotus mass occurrence with a cell density of 1.8 × 106 Ind L-1 in Lake Hopfensee, even 59% of the 3.6 mg L-1 total carbonate concentration consisted of Phacotus shells. In contrast to this high amount, the topmost basinal sediment contained a Phacotus shell content between 80 and 36,252 individuals per mg dry sediment, representing only 0.02% to 2.28% of the total carbonate sediment content. In a gravity core from Lake Grosser Ostersee, dating back ~150 years, the Phacotus shell content was continuously below 0.24% whereas the shell diameters remained equal to those of living individuals found in the water column proving that Phacotus shells are capable to persist in the sediment after deposition.A main reason for the large discrepancy between Phacotus shell abundance in the euphotic zone and in sediment was found to be the gross authigenic carbonate precipitation, which dilutes the sedimenting Phacotus shells that accumulate exclusively during short and intensive population peaks in summer. Additionally, dissolution of the carbonate shells during sedimentation was proven to be a relevant factor in Lake Igelsbachsee by means of reducing the number of Phacotus shells reaching the lake bottom. These facts explain that short-term high Phacotus carbonate contents of the total suspended carbonate in the water column do not mirror the contribution of Phacotus shells in the sedimentary record.

It is commonly assumed that methane (CH4) released by lakes into the atmosphere is mainly produced in anoxic sediment and transported by diffusion or ebullition through the water column to the surface of the lake. In contrast to that prevailing idea, it has been gradually established that the epilimnetic CH4 does not originate exclusively from sediments but is also locally produced or laterally transported from the littoral zone. Therefore, CH4 cycling in the epilimnion and the hypolimnion might not be as closely linked as previously thought. We utilized a high-resolution method used to determine dissolved CH4 concentration to analyze a Siberian lake in which epilimnetic and hypolimnetic CH4 cycles were fully segregated by a section of the water column where CH4 was not detected. This layer, with no detected CH4, was well below the oxycline and the photic zone and thus assumed to be anaerobic. However, on the basis of a diffusion-reaction model, molecular biology, and stable isotope analyses, we determined that this layer takes up all the CH4 produced in the sediments and the deepest section of the hypolimnion. We concluded that there was no CH4 exchange between the hypolimnion (dominated by methanotrophy and methanogenesis) and the epilimnion (dominated by methane lateral transport and/or oxic production), resulting in a vertically segregated lake internal CH4 cycle.

Lakes around the world are warming, but not all water layers are warming at the same rate, and some are even cooling. Most studies have focused on summer lake water surface temperatures or analyzed short-time series. Here, we analyze a 44-year time series of water temperature from nine depths in a small mountain lake using dynamic linear models and temporal trend decomposition. We observe a significant long-term warming trend, but this occurred only from August to December in all water layers. The lake warmed ca. twice as fast (0.23 °C decade−1) as the air, but warming of the epilimnion slowed down remarkably (from 0.65 to 0.10 °C per decade) after 1993, a consequence of changing stratification timing. Deeper water layers even cooled thereafter, pointing to a stronger isolation from surface layers, which were still warming over the whole study period. This differential warming of the lake was accompanied by significant shifts of lake freezing and thawing dates leading to shorter ice-cover periods (~ 5 days decade−1). As a result, the thermal Schmidt stability of the water column strengthened, but also temperature variance in the epilimnion increased significantly, together with increasing variance and extremes of local air temperature. Our results show a significant autumn/winter warming effect of lake water together with an increasing intensity of temperature fluctuations in this seasonally ice-covered mountain lake, suggesting that current broad scale estimates of climate change impacts on lakes, based on summer temperature measurements and surface layers, do not fully reflect the effect of climate change.