Reappearance of Highly Acid-Sensitive Invertebrates after Liming of an Alpine Lake Ecosystem

Fjellheim, Arne; Tysse, Åsmund; Bjerknes, V.

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-0810-5_79

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…In fact, some species might be difficult to detect using conventional benthic sampling due to low density and/or patchy distribution (e.g., Fjellheim et al 2001), especially during a once-a-year sampling effort. Our experience shows that some species may not be found even in ongoing yearly macroinvertebrate sampling in the same lakes (Bitušík, unpubl.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of two alpine lakes over the last century: The value of historical data for interpreting environmental changes

2010

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Data on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages of two alpine lakes in the Tatra Mts (Slovakia) collected in 1914, 1933, 1979-1982, 1993-1997, and 2000 were collated and analysed in an attempt to define their relationship to major environmental events affecting these alpine lakes over the last century. The oldest data were considered an important background before the onset of acidification in one of the lakes in the 1950s, while the most current contain possible information on biological recovery. Results show that data from the 1910s are insufficient to characterize the macroinvertebrate fauna. Deep zone assemblages of both studied lakes have remained stable since the 1930s. Changes in the density of dominant species over time were found in the acidified lake, suggesting a connection between an increase in phosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentration. The composition of the littoral assemblages in the acidified lake in the 1930s indicates that the lake was not strongly acidified at that time. A stable composition since the 1980s reflects the ongoing acid stress. Incomplete species data on the non-acidified lake did not allow us to detect possible changes in the littoral fauna related to acidification. Single findings of species indicating a recovery process need longer-term data to confirm such a trend. Results from this study suggest that historical datasets consist of valuable information that can supplement palaeolimnological analyses in the reconstruction of lake ontogeny.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of two alpine lakes over the last century: The value of historical data for interpreting environmental changes

2010

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“…In lotic environments the re-colonization of species is aided by effective dispersal systems, such as drift, which enables species to reappear shortly after the removal of the environmental stress. A rapid dispersal and re-colonization (1-3 years) of acidsensitive insects, and also of slowly-dispersing species, have been documented in both naturally recovered and limed watersheds (Lien et al, 1996;Fjellheim et al, 2001;Raddum et al, 2001;NIVA, 2002;Halvorsen et al, 2003;.…”

Section: Recovery: a Simple Or A Complex Phenomenon?mentioning

confidence: 96%

Recovery from acidification in boreal lakes inferred from macroinvertebrates and subfossil chironomids

Hynynen

Meriläinen

2005

Hydrobiologia

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Acidification of waters and soils caused by emissions and the long-range transport of air pollutants has been a serious worldwide problem during the last decades. The extent of the acidification problem in Finnish acid-sensitive forest lakes was examined in the Acidification Research Project (HAPRO) in the mid-1980s. The recent decline in the emissions of air pollutants has resulted in the chemical recovery of watersheds in many regions, and the present work on the recovery processes in acidified Finnish headwater lakes (REPRO) was launched to examine whether the chemical recovery has already been accompanied by biological recovery. The patterns of recovery were studied by re-sampling littoral macrozoobenthos in a subset of the previously sampled HAPRO lakes. Paleolimnological samples were taken in order to assess the possible dependence of lacustrine chironomid communities on the changing degree of acidification. Acid sensitive and moderately acid sensitive benthic species revealed slight recovery in the formerly most acidic (pH £ 5.5) but recently recovered lakes. The most significant factors affecting the response of benthic communities were increased mean lake pH and decreased labile aluminium concentration. Paleolimnological chironomid analysis revealed a slight response along the pH gradient, but also significant structural similarity between the present and pristine chironomid assemblages. This implies that no major changes in chironomid communities of these acidic lakes have occurred during the past centuries. The alternative future trends and threats to biological recovery in small headwater lakes are discussed.

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“…In 1993, calcium in these two lakes was measured at 0.28-0.35 mg L -1 . A liming programme that aimed to improve the water quality in these two lakes started in 1994, which resulted in the re-appearance of G. lacustris in brown trout stomachs (Fjellheim et al 2001. This may be due to the reintroduced specimens and/ or proximity to species refugia with better water quality in the lakes.…”

Section: Environmental Constraints May Limit the Distribution Of Gammmentioning

confidence: 99%

The freshwater shrimp Gammarus lacustris (Malacostraca, Amphipoda) in lakes on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, southern Norway: distribution and environmental requirements

Qvenild

Hesthagen²,

Fjellheim³

2020

Fauna Norv.

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The distribution of the amphipod Gammarus lacustris on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau was mapped by screening published data from 245 lakes in 11 and 16 catchments in western and central/eastern areas, respectively. These data are primarily based on stomach analyses of brown trout Salmo trutta. In central/eastern areas, G. lacustris was recorded in 79% of all the lakes examined, while there are only two former records (4%) in the western area. The distribution pattern of G. lacustris on Hardangervidda appears to be related to environmental conditions. The apparent absence of G. lacustris in the western area may be explained by a combined effect of cold water due to higher deposits of snow and water with low ionic strength as a consequence of its bedrock of Precambrian gneisses and granites with little or no moraine cover. However, lakes in central/eastern areas sustain G. lacustris in spite of dilute water, as G. lacustris has been recorded in 89 lakes of which 28% had calcium concentration <1.0 mg L-1, eight of them with pH <6.0. The lower lethal threshold for calcium concentration seems to be ~0.5 mg L-1. Gammarus lacustris was found in lakes at altitudes of 832 to 1396 m a.s.l. Furthermore, their occurrence increased significantly with lake size, being 69% in lakes <1.0 km2 and 97% in larger lakes. The number of refugia with better water quality is likely to increase with lake size. Gammarus lacustris is highly searched for as prey by all size groups of brown trout (15-45 cm). Access to proximity refugia that reduce predation pressure from fish may also increase with lake size. Climate changes are now in progress in this mountain area, and detailed mapping of G. lacustris is important in order to trace future range changes.

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Reappearance of Highly Acid-Sensitive Invertebrates after Liming of an Alpine Lake Ecosystem

Cited by 7 publications

References 8 publications

Benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of two alpine lakes over the last century: The value of historical data for interpreting environmental changes

Benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of two alpine lakes over the last century: The value of historical data for interpreting environmental changes

Recovery from acidification in boreal lakes inferred from macroinvertebrates and subfossil chironomids

The freshwater shrimp Gammarus lacustris (Malacostraca, Amphipoda) in lakes on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, southern Norway: distribution and environmental requirements

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