Impact of flood regime on phytoplankton communities in the large African reservoir, Lake Nasser, Egypt

Zaher, Shymaa S.; Aly, Walid

doi:10.2989/16085914.2021.1888688

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…According to Abdel Aziz and Gharib [48], the relationship between phytoplankton and zooplankton usually appears inverse and clear during different periods. The previous studies confirmed that a flood regime substantially affected phytoplankton growth, including high spatial variation along the main canal of Lake Nasser [49]. Similarly, cyanobacteria dominated the phytoplankton in the pre-flood period; however, in the post-flood period, they were also the dominant species, except for site 13.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Comprehensive Insight into Lake Nasser Environment: Water Quality and Biotic Communities—A Case Study before Operating the Renaissance Dam

Goher

Napiórkowska‐Krzebietke

Aly

et al. 2021

Water

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This study focused on the monitoring and assessment of aquatic ecosystem functioning based on the abiotic and biotic features of Lake Nasser in the post-flood and pre-flood periods as the last ones before water storing behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The physicochemical parameters, distribution and structure of biotic communities, including bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrophytes, epiphytes and fish were analyzed at 15 sites. The values of most parameters (primarily temperature, total suspended solids, pH, orthophosphates, carbonates, sulphates and some cations) were higher in the pre-flood period, whereas higher values of conductivity, total dissolved solids, total solids, nitrites, nitrates, chemical oxygen demand, bicarbonates and chlorophyll a were recorded in the post-flood period. Cyanobacteria-dominated phytoplankton and total coliform bacteria were more abundant in the pre-flood period, and especially at sites 10–15, whereas higher abundances of zooplankton were recorded in the post-flood period. All these changes in parameters were significantly differentiated, and only the concentrations of dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonium and silicates were at similar level in both periods. The study also indicated that environmental factors had affected the macrophyte distribution and the adaptation of the invasive species Myriophyllum spicatum to thrive under different environmental factors in the lake. Besides, macrophytes provided the habitat to other aquatic organisms, especially epiphytes, and also helped maintaining the good water quality, nutrient cycling and stabilizing rivers’ and lakes’ banks. Generally, these conditions were rather favorable for biological processes and fish production.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Comprehensive Insight into Lake Nasser Environment: Water Quality and Biotic Communities—A Case Study before Operating the Renaissance Dam

Goher

Napiórkowska‐Krzebietke

Aly

et al. 2021

Water

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“…Extreme flooding is not only climate‐driven but can also occur when dams break or when they are built, famous examples being the dam building projects in James Bay, Canada (Roebuck & Virginia, 2010) and Three Gorges in China (New & Xie, 2008; see section on hydromorphological modifications below). Extreme flooding events are often a direct threat to lake and human health by substantially increasing contaminant loads, macropollutants and disease‐causing microorganisms, in particular when flood water encroaches into agricultural land or when there are overflows from sewers or manufacturing facilities into lakes and reservoirs (Talbot et al., 2018; Zaher & Aly, 2021). The litter washed into lakes and onto shores by a flooding event can substantially impair recreational values of a lake due to unsightly debris and malodor.…”

Section: Common Lake Health Issues and Their Societal Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Lake Health in the Anthropocene: Societal Implications and Treatment Strategies

Weyhenmeyer,

Chukwuka,

Anneville

et al. 2024

Earth's Future

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The world's 1.4 million lakes (≥10 ha) provide many ecosystem services that are essential for human well‐being; however, only if their health status is good. Here, we reviewed common lake health issues and classified them using a simple human health‐based approach to outline that lakes are living systems that are in need of oxygen, clean water and a balanced energy and nutrient supply. The main reason for adopting some of the human health terminology for the lake health classification is to increase the awareness and understanding of global lake health issues. We show that lakes are exposed to various anthropogenic stressors which can result in many lake health issues, ranging from thermal, circulatory, respiratory, nutritional and metabolic issues to infections and poisoning. Of particular concern for human well‐being is the widespread lake drying, which is a severe circulatory issue with many cascading effects on lake health. We estimated that ∼115,000 lakes evaporate twice as much water as they gain from direct precipitation, making them vulnerable to potential drying if inflowing waters follow the drying trend, putting more than 153 million people at risk who live in close vicinity to those lakes. Where lake health issues remain untreated, essential ecosystem services will decline or even vanish, posing a threat to the well‐being of millions of people. We recommend coordinated multisectoral and multidisciplinary prevention and treatment strategies, which need to include a follow‐up of the progress and an assessment of the resilience of lakes to intensifying threats. Priority should be given to implementing sewage water treatment, mitigating climate change, counteracting introductions of non‐native species to lakes and decreasing uncontrolled anthropogenic releases of chemicals into the hydro‐, bio‐, and atmosphere.

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Ecological status of Lake Nasser Khors, Egypt, before operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Abdel-Aal

Haroon

Ibrahim

et al. 2022

Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess

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Lake Nasser is an artificial reservoir that represents the national freshwater reserve of Egypt and has a number of khors (side extensions) along its eastern and western banks. These khors covered approximately 79% of the lake’s total surface area and have an important effect on water quality and fish production in the lake. This study aimed to monitor and assess the water quality, distribution, and structure of the biotic community, including phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrophytes, epiphytes, and macrobenthos in two main khors (Tushka West and Dahmeit) during postflood and preflood periods. There was urgency associated with the study, as it was the last opportunity before the storing of the water behind the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which had begun to fill in July 2020. Although the study confirmed that the water quality of Lake Nasser was good, it is classified as a eutrophic lake (depending on the levels of Chlorophyll-a and nutrients). This study found that pH, NO2, SiO4, NH4, PO4, and temperature were the factors with the greatest effect on the biota community, especially in Dahmeit Khor. In contrast to the phytoplankton and macrobenthos, the highest total density of zooplankton and epiphytic microalgae were detected during the postflood period. This study could be useful in monitoring possible changes in the Lake Nasser environment after the complete filling of the GERD reservoir.

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Impact of flood regime on phytoplankton communities in the large African reservoir, Lake Nasser, Egypt

Cited by 5 publications

References 22 publications

Comprehensive Insight into Lake Nasser Environment: Water Quality and Biotic Communities—A Case Study before Operating the Renaissance Dam

Comprehensive Insight into Lake Nasser Environment: Water Quality and Biotic Communities—A Case Study before Operating the Renaissance Dam

Global Lake Health in the Anthropocene: Societal Implications and Treatment Strategies

Ecological status of Lake Nasser Khors, Egypt, before operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

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