In the current project we have the opportunity to show a
Wetland ecosystems are also located inside freshwater
lakes as in Patzcuaro considered one of the most important
natural lakes of Mexico due to its environmental,
economic, cultural and social attributes. Extensive areas of
this lake, its fauna, native flora and watershed are severely
affected by sewage without treatment, fertilizers non-point
runoff derived from agriculture, deforestation, and
inadequate land use change. Within the most altered
aquatic components from these processes is the wetland
ecosystem which is the objective of this study because of
its ecological and biogeochemical importance in Lake
Patzcuaro. In this study the dynamics of total phosphorus
and inorganic nitrogen inside the littoral wetland located
in the southern shore of Patzcuaro where seven sites were
established located inside the wetland, limnetic zone, and
an underwater spring in a transect of 1,500 m long. The
obtained values of dissolved total phosphorus and
inorganic nitrogen indicated that these nutrients are
retained when these components crossed the wetland
ecosystem in 67.5% and 70.8% respectively. Hence, the
wetland ecosystem is functioning as natural filter and the
inputs from other pathways are deteriorating lake water
quality.