Effects of brownification and warming on algal blooms, metabolism and higher trophic levels in productive shallow lake mesocosms

Feuchtmayr, Heidrun; Pottinger, T.G.; Moore, Alanna; Ville, M.M. De; Caillouet, Laurie; Carter, Heather T.; Pereira, M. Glória; Maberly, Stephen C.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.105

Cited by 37 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…This is in the upper range of the predicted increase in temperatures under RCP 8.5 predictions (2.6–4.8°C, IPCC, ) and complements other mesocosm climate warming experiments (e.g. Feuchtmayr et al, ; Feuchtmayr et al, ; Urrutia‐Cordera et al, ; Yvon‐Durocher et al, ).…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 81%

“…Sampling occurred every 4 weeks as well as additional sampling which occurred on the day of flushing (post-flushing), and 1 week after a flushing event before returning to a four-weekly schedule 8.5 predictions (2.6-4.8°C, IPCC, 2013) and complements other mesocosm climate warming experiments (e.g. Feuchtmayr et al, 2009;Feuchtmayr et al, 2019;Urrutia-Cordera et al, 2017;Yvon-Durocher et al, 2015).…”

Section: Warmingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Response of cyanobacteria and phytoplankton abundance to warming, extreme rainfall events and nutrient enrichment

Richardson

Feuchtmayr

Miller

et al. 2019

Global Change Biology

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100

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Cyanobacterial blooms are an increasing threat to water quality and global water security caused by the nutrient enrichment of freshwaters. There is also a broad consensus that blooms are increasing with global warming, but the impacts of other concomitant environmental changes, such as an increase in extreme rainfall events, may affect this response. One of the potential effects of high rainfall events on phytoplankton communities is greater loss of biomass through hydraulic flushing. Here we used a shallow lake mesocosm experiment to test the combined effects of: warming (ambient vs. +4°C increase), high rainfall (flushing) events (no events vs. seasonal events) and nutrient loading (eutrophic vs. hypertrophic) on total phytoplankton chlorophyll‐a and cyanobacterial abundance and composition. Our hypotheses were that: (a) total phytoplankton and cyanobacterial abundance would be higher in heated mesocosms; (b) the stimulatory effects of warming on cyanobacterial abundance would be enhanced in higher nutrient mesocosms, resulting in a synergistic interaction; (c) the recovery of biomass from flushing induced losses would be quicker in heated and nutrient‐enriched treatments, and during the growing season. The results supported the first and, in part, the third hypotheses: total phytoplankton and cyanobacterial abundance increased in heated mesocosms with an increase in common bloom‐forming taxa—Microcystis spp. and Dolichospermum spp. Recovery from flushing was slowest in the winter, but unaffected by warming or higher nutrient loading. Contrary to the second hypothesis, an antagonistic interaction between warming and nutrient enrichment was detected for both cyanobacteria and chlorophyll‐a demonstrating that ecological surprises can occur, dependent on the environmental context. While this study highlights the clear need to mitigate against global warming, oversimplification of global change effects on cyanobacteria should be avoided; stressor gradients and seasonal effects should be considered as important factors shaping the response.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Warmingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of cyanobacteria and phytoplankton abundance to warming, extreme rainfall events and nutrient enrichment

Richardson

Feuchtmayr

Miller

et al. 2019

Global Change Biology

Self Cite

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In agreement with our model predictions, cyanobacterial abundance was lowest in blue lakes and highest in green and murky lakes. Other studies have also shown that lake browning may result in the loss of diatoms and green algae (Urrutia‐Cordero et al ), while it tends to favor cyanobacteria (Ekvall et al , Lebret et al , Feuchtmayr et al ) and cryptophytes (Deininger et al , Urrutia‐Cordero et al , Wilken et al ). These patterns are supported by recent competition experiments that, similar to our results, revealed that the common bloom‐forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa lost the competition from a green alga in blue light, but won in orange‐red light (Tan et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Changes in water color shift competition between phytoplankton species with contrasting light‐harvesting strategies

Luimstra

Verspagen

et al. 2020

Ecology

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The color of many lakes and seas is changing, which is likely to affect the species composition of freshwater and marine phytoplankton communities. For example, cyanobacteria with phycobilisomes as light‐harvesting antennae can effectively utilize green or orange‐red light. However, recent studies show that they use blue light much less efficiently than phytoplankton species with chlorophyll‐based light‐harvesting complexes, even though both phytoplankton groups may absorb blue light to a similar extent. Can we advance ecological theory to predict how these differences in light‐harvesting strategy affect competition between phytoplankton species? Here, we develop a new resource competition model in which the absorption and utilization efficiency of different colors of light are varied independently. The model was parameterized using monoculture experiments with a freshwater cyanobacterium and green alga, as representatives of phytoplankton with phycobilisome‐based vs. chlorophyll‐based light‐harvesting antennae. The parameterized model was subsequently tested in a series of competition experiments. In agreement with the model predictions, the green alga won the competition in blue light whereas the cyanobacterium won in red light, irrespective of the initial relative abundances of the species. These results are in line with observed changes in phytoplankton community structure in response to lake brownification. Similarly, in marine waters, the model predicts dominance of Prochlorococcus with chlorophyll‐based light‐harvesting complexes in blue light but dominance of Synechococcus with phycobilisomes in green light, with a broad range of coexistence in between. These predictions agree well with the known biogeographical distributions of these two highly abundant marine taxa. Our results offer a novel trait‐based approach to understand and predict competition between phytoplankton species with different photosynthetic pigments and light‐harvesting strategies.

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“…DOM is also generated within lakes and reservoirs via photosynthesis (production of algal exudates and release via cell lysis) and through processing of particulate matter (Tranvik et al, 2009) so that DOM concentrations at the point of abstraction from reservoirs represent the sum of these removal and generation processes. Importantly, in-reservoir algal production, and hence within-reservoir generation of DOM is often limited by the availability 350 of either phosphorus, nitrogen or both, so that waterbodies receiving high levels of inorganic nutrient inputs, either externally from their catchments or internally from sediments, are likely to generate additional DOM within the water column (Feuchtmayr et al, 2019;Evans et al, 2017a). DOM produced via these processes is relatively transparent and hydrophilic in comparison with DOM generated by organic rich soils, and thus presents different challenges for treatment, particularly as the hydrophilic DOM is not easily removed through coagulation (Matilainen et al, 2010) and may lead to the need for additional capital investment in order to effectively reduce residual DOM in drinking water.…”

Section: In-lake Cycling Of Dissolved Organic Matter 335mentioning

confidence: 99%

Will UK peatland restoration reduce dissolved organic matter concentrations in upland drinking water supplies?

Williamson

Evans

Spears

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract. Rising dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentrations, and associated increases in water colour, have posed a potential problem for the UK water industry since the phenomenon was first reported in the early 1990s. Elevated DOM concentrations in raw water are of particular concern in upland catchments dominated by organic soils where DOM production tends to be highest. In recent years, water companies have considered the capacity for catchment interventions to improve raw water quality at source, relieving the need for costly and complex engineering solutions in treatment works, but there is considerable uncertainty around the effectiveness of these measures. One of the primary evidence gaps is the extent to which catchment management is capable of influencing DOM concentrations at the point of abstraction, field studies rarely extending beyond sub-catchment or stream scale. Our review of the published evidence suggests that catchment management could make a contribution to mitigating recent DOM increases in some circumstances, particularly where plantation forestry has been grown on peat, and where control of nutrients in runoff could reduce in-reservoir DOM production. Evidence for the efficacy of most other measures that target reductions in DOM loading for catchment to reservoir remains insufficient to support wider scale application. Collectively, these measures have the potential to reduce DOM concentrations in drinking water reservoirs but they must be selected on a site-specific basis, where the scale, effect size and duration of the catchment intervention are considered in relation to both the treatment capacity of the works and future projected DOM trends.

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Effects of brownification and warming on algal blooms, metabolism and higher trophic levels in productive shallow lake mesocosms

Abstract: Effects of brownification and warming on algal blooms, metabolism and higher trophic levels in productive shallow lake mesocosms.

Cited by 37 publications

References 79 publications

Response of cyanobacteria and phytoplankton abundance to warming, extreme rainfall events and nutrient enrichment

Response of cyanobacteria and phytoplankton abundance to warming, extreme rainfall events and nutrient enrichment

Changes in water color shift competition between phytoplankton species with contrasting light‐harvesting strategies

Will UK peatland restoration reduce dissolved organic matter concentrations in upland drinking water supplies?

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