Cyanobacteria-mediated internal eutrophication in shallow Lake Balaton after load reduction

Nutrient loads to large, shallow Lake Balaton have been reduced by 45–50% since mid-1980s. While a delayed, but still surprisingly fast recovery was observed in the hypertrophic western areas of the lake, eutrophication followed sewage diversion from the mesotrophic northern basins. We assessed fact...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water research (Oxford) 2002-07, Vol.36 (13), p.3314-3322
Main Authors: Istvánovics, Vera, Somlyódy, László, Clement, Adrienne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Applied sciences
Biological and medical sciences
Biomass
Continental surface waters
Cyanobacteria
Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii
Dispersion
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Ecosystem
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Environmental Monitoring
Eutrophication
Exact sciences and technology
Fresh water environment
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hungary
Hungary, Balaton L
Internal P load
Natural water pollution
Phosphorus - analysis
Pollution
Pollution, environment geology
Sewage
Sewage diversion
Temperature
Water Microbiology
Water residence time
Water temperature
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:Nutrient loads to large, shallow Lake Balaton have been reduced by 45–50% since mid-1980s. While a delayed, but still surprisingly fast recovery was observed in the hypertrophic western areas of the lake, eutrophication followed sewage diversion from the mesotrophic northern basins. We assessed factors that could lead to this unusual response. The prime reason of the observed biomass increase might be a trend of increasing mean water temperature during late summers and the concurrent invasion of the subtropical cyanobacterium, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii with superior light and nutrient utilisation capabilities. In the mesotrophic areas, the prerequisite of the unforeseen success of C. raciborskii was the exceptionally high potential of this species to generate internal P load. Specific morphometric features of the lake rather than nutrient loads might substantiate the increasing dominance of the cyanobacterium in these areas. Our results stress the need to consider individual characteristics of aquatic ecosystems during eutrophication management.
ISSN:0043-1354
1879-2448
DOI:10.1016/S0043-1354(02)00036-2