Abstract
A study was conducted to examine factors regulating the biomass of algal picoplankton in Calder Lake, a small eutrophic lake in southern New York state. A particular focus was a current paradigm which suggests that larger cells may dominate in nutrient-rich waters, while smaller cells may predominate only in oligotrophic waters. Over two years, phytoplankton biomass consisted predominantly (74% on average) of very small organisms; nanoplankton (<20 to 2 µm: 39%) and picoplankton (<2 µm to 0.2 µm: 35%), despite the presence of surface blooms of colonial cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa, Anabaena limnetica), and dense metalimnetic populations of the dinoflagellate Ceratium hirundinella. This dimictic system is characterized by relatively high levels of total P (max = 85, % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGabmiEayaara% aaaa!3702!\[\bar x\] = 9.7 µg P/L), inorganic P (max = 26, % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGabmiEayaara% aaaa!3702!\[\bar x\] = 4.5 µg P/L), and total inorganic N (max = 285, % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGabmiEayaara% aaaa!3702!\[\bar x\] = 85 µg P/L), but larger forms were rarely the most abundant. Unlike some marine systems, greater abundance of algal picoplankton was not associated with deeper strata (low light), or warmer temperatures. Data suggest that midsummer nutrient limitation, especially P-limitation, favors the development of pico- and nanoplankton in the limnetic zone of eutrophic lakes.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
American Public Health Association, 1985. Standard methods for the analysis of water and wastewater. 16th Edn. A.P.H.A., Washington, D.C.
Bruno, S. T. & J. J. A. McLaughlin, 1977. The nutrition of the freshwater dinoflagellate Ceratium hirundinella. J. Protozool. 24: 548–553.
Caron, D. A., F. R. Pick & D. R. S. Lean, 1985. Chroococcoid cyanobacteria in Lake Ontario: vertical and seasonal distributions during 1982. J. Phycol. 21: 171–175.
Chang, V. T.-P., 1980. Zwei neue Synechococcus-Arten aus dem Zürichsee. Schweiz. Z. Hydrol. 42: 247–254.
Craig, S. R., 1984. Productivity of algal picoplankton in a small meromictic lake. Int. Ver. Limnol. Verhandl. 22: 351–354.
Currie, D. J. & J. Kalff, 1984. A comparison of the abilities of freshwater algae to acquire and retain phosphorus. Limnol. Oceanogr. 29: 298–310.
Drews, G., H. Prauser & D. Uhlmann, 1961. Massenvorkommen von Synechococcus plankticus nov. spec., einer solitären, planktischen Cynaophycee, in einen Abwasserteich. Arch. Microbiol. 39: 101–115.
Eisenreich, S. J., R. T. Bannerman & D. E. Armstrong, 1975. A simplified phosphorus analysis technique. Envir. Lett. 9: 43–53.
Ellis, B. K. & J. A. Stanford, 1982. Comparative photoheterotrophy, and photolithotrophy in a eutrophic reservoir and an oligotrophic lake. Limnol. Oceanogr. 27: 440–454.
Fahnenstiel, G. L., L. Sicko-Goad, D. Scavia & E. F. Stoermer, 1986. Importance of picoplankton in Lake Superior. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 43: 235–240.
Gelin, C. & W. Ripl, 1978. Nutrient decrease and response of various phytoplankton size fractions following the restoration of Lake Trummen, Sweden. Arch. Hydrobiol. 81: 339–367.
Glover, H. E., 1985. The physiology and ecology of the marine cyanobacterial genus Synechococcus. Adv. aquat. Microbiol. 3: 49–107.
Hecky, R. E. & P. Kilham, 1988. Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton in freshwater and marine environments: A review of recent evidence on the effects of enrichment. Limnol. Oceanogr. 33 (4, part 2): 796–822.
Hobbie, J. E., R. J. Daley & S. Jasper, 1977. Use of Nuclepore filters for counting bacteria by fluorescence microscopy. Appl. envir. Microbiol. 33: 1225–1228.
Lean, D. R. S., 1973. Phosphorus dynamics in lake water. Science 179: 678–679.
Lean, D. R. S. & E. White, 1983. Chemical and radiotracer measurements of phosphorus uptake by lake plankton. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 40: 147–155.
Li, W. K. W., 1986. Experimental approaches to field measurements: methods and interpretation. In: T. Platt & W. K. W. Li (Eds.), Photosynthetic picoplankton. Can. Bull. Fish. aquat. Sci. 214: 251–286.
Lorenzen, C. J., 1967. Determination of chlorophyll and pheo-pigments: spectrophotometric equations. Limnol. Oceanogr. 12: 343–346.
Mackereth, F. J. H., J. Heron & J. F. Talling, 1978. Water analysis: some revised methods for limnologists. Freshwat. Biol. Ass., U.K. Sci. Publ. No. 36. 120 pp.
Paerl, H. W., 1977. Ultraphytoplankton biomass and production in some New Zealand lakes. N.Z. J. Mar. Freshwater. Res. 11: 297–305.
Paerl, M. W. & L. A. Mackenzie, 1977. A comparative study of the diurnal carbon fixation patterns of nannoplankton and net plankton. Limnol. Oceanogr. 22: 732–738.
Prepas, E. E., M. E. Dunnigan & A. M. Trimbee, 1988. Comparison of in situ estimates of chlorophyll a obtained with Whatman GF/L and GF/C glassfiber filters in mesotrophic to hypereutropic lakes. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 45: 910–914.
Rhee, G.-Y. & I. J. Gotham, 1980. Optimum N: P ratios and coexistence of planktonic algae. J. Phycol. 16: 486–489.
Schindler, D. W., 1977. Evolution of phosphorus limitation in lakes. Science 195: 260–262.
Sieburth, J., McN., V. Smetacek & J. Lenz, 1978. Pelagic ecosystem structure: heterotrophic compartments of the plankton and their relationship to plankton size fractions. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23: 1256–1263.
Stockner, J. G., 1988. Phototrophic picoplankton: an overview from marine and freshwater ecosystems. Limnol. Oceanogr. 33 (4, part 2): 765–775.
Stockner, J. G. & N. J. Antia, 1986. Algal picoplankton from marine and freshwater ecosystems: a multidisciplinary approach. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 43: 2472–2503.
Suttle, C. A. & P. J. Harrison, 1988. Ammonium and phosphate uptake rates, N: P supply ratios, and evidence for N and P limitation in some oligotrophic lakes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 33: 186–202.
Utermöhl, H., 1958. Zur vervollkommnung der quantitativen Phytoplankton-Methodik. Int. Ver. Limnol. Mitt. 9: 1–38.
Waterbury, J. B., S. W. Watson, F. W. Valois & D. G. Franks, 1986. Biological and ecological characterization of the marine unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus. In: T. PLatt & W. K. W. Li (Eds.) Photosynthetic picoplankton. Can. Bull. Fish. aquat. Sci. 214: 71–120.
Wehr, J. D., L. M. Brown & K. O'Grady, 1987. Highly specialized nitrogen metabolism in a freshwater phytoplankter, Chrysochromulina breviturrita. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 44: 736–742.
Wetzel, R. G., 1983. Limnology. 2nd Edn Saunders, Philadelphia, PA.
Wilkinson, L., 1987. SYSTAT: The system for statistics. Systat Inc., Evanston, IL.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wehr, J.D. Predominance of picoplankton and nanoplankton in eutrophic Calder Lake. Hydrobiologia 203, 35–44 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005611
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005611