Abstract
Water level regulation causes large-scale ecological changes in the littoral areas of lakes in northern Finland. If the summertime water level is raised, intensive erosion processes begin, causing a sudden decline in shore vegetation. The need for shore protection is obvious in areas of high recreational value. At lake Ontojärvi, planting experiments with littoral helophytes and bushes were carried out during the years 1990–92. All the experiments were carried out in the eroded sandy areas, which were partly protected by mechanical barriers. Several plant species were planted on the shore which had been treated with different peat mixtures, etc. The frequencies of the different species were followed monthly. After the first summer, the average survival rates were about 45 % due to the drying of seedlings. A rapid decrease in the survival rates took place during the high water level period in 1991 at which point only 20% of the planted individuals were alive. The best results were obtained for the helophyte Carex rostrata Stokes, of which 30% had survived erosion. Tall willows (Salix phylicifolia L.) were also erosion-resistant with a survival rate of 80%.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Alasaarela, E., S. Hellsten & P. Tikkanen, 1989. Ecological aspects of lake regulation in northern Finland. In H. Laikari (ed.), River Basin Management — 5, Pergamon Press, Oxford.
Allen, H. H. & C. V. Klimas, 1986. Reservoir shoreline revegetation guidelines. Technical report E-86–13, US Army engineer waterways experiment station. Vicksburg, Miss. 87 pp.
Allen, H. H., J. W. Webb & S. D. Shirley, 1984. Wetlands development in moderate wave-energy climates. Proceedings of dredging '84, Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean division, American Society of Civil Engineers, November 14–16, 1984, Clearwater, Fla.: 943–955.
Bache, D. H. & I. A. MacAskill, 1984. Vegetation in civil and landscape engineering. Granada, London: 317 pp.
Barko, J. W. & R. M. Smart, 1983. Effects of organic matter additions to sediment on the growth of aquatic plants. J. Ecol. 71: 161–175.
Bagemann, W. & H. M. Schiechtl, 1986. Ingenieur biologie: Handbuch zum naturnachen Wasser- und Erdbau. Bauverlag GMBH, Wiesbaden und Berlin: 216 pp.
Broome, S. W., E. D. Seneca & W. W. Woodhouse, 1988. Tidal salt marsh restoration. Aquatic Botany 32: 1–22.
Comes, R. D. & T. McCreary, 1986. Approaches to revegetate shorelines at Lake Wallula on the Columbia River, Washington-Oregon. Technical report E-86–2, US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
Erixon, G., 1981. Aquatic macrophytes and their environment in the Vindelälven river, northern Sweden. Wahlenbergia 7: 61–71.
Fowler, D. K. & J. B. Maddox, 1974. Habitat improvement along reservoir inundation zones by barge hydroseeding. J. Soil Water Conserv. 22: 263–265.
Grime J. P., 1977. Evidence for the existence of three primary strategies in plants and its relevance to ecological and evolutionary theory. Am. Nat. 111: 1169–1194.
Lester, J. E., C. V. Klimas, H. H. Allen & S. G. Shetron, 1986. Shoreline revegetation studies at lake Texoma on the Red River, Texas-Oklahoma. Technical report E-86–1, US Army Eng. Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
Murphy, K. J., B. Rørslett & I. Springuel, 1990. Strategy analysis of submerged lake macrophyte communities: an international example. Aquatic Botany 36: 303–323.
Rørslett, B., 1984. Enviromental factors and aquatic macrophyte response in regulated lakes — a statistical approach. Aquatic Botany 19: 199–220.
Rørslett, B., 1985. Regulation impact on submerged macrophytes in the oligotrophic lakes of Setesdal, South Norway. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 22: 2927–2936.
Rørslett, B., 1987. Niche statistic of submerged macrophytes in Tyrifjord, a large oligotrophic Norwegian lake. Arch. Hydrobiol. 111: 283–308.
Spence, D. N. H., 1982. The zonation of plants in freshwater lakes. Adv. ecol. Res. 12: 37–125.
Wilson, S. D. & P. A. Keddy, 1985. Plant zonation on a shoreline gradient: Physiological response curves of component species. J. Ecol. 73: 851–860.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hellsten, S., Riihimäki, J., Alasaarela, E. et al. Experimental revegetation of the regulated lake Ontojärvi in northern Finland. Hydrobiologia 340, 339–343 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012778
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012778