Transition zones in small lakes: the importance of dilution and biological uptake on lake-wide heterogeneity

Mackay, Eleanor B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5697-7062; Jones, Ian D.; Folkard, Andrew M.; Thackeray, Stephen J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3274-2706. 2011 Transition zones in small lakes: the importance of dilution and biological uptake on lake-wide heterogeneity. Hydrobiologia, 678 (1). 85-97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0825-y

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Official URL: http://www.springerlink.com./content/u6010h51236n6...

Abstract/Summary

Stream inflows are frequently the dominant route for nutrients from catchments to lakes. Studies on large, deep reservoirs and lakes have shown the importance of the fate of inflow plumes for nutrient accessibility to phytoplankton. However, few studies have considered shallow water transition zones between streams and lakes, often a feature of small lakes. This study examined the spatial and temporal dynamics of phosphorus in a shallow stream-lake transition in a small lake to improve our understanding of how phosphorus reaches the pelagic zone. Despite the high discharge levels, and the importance of dilution in explaining observed spatial gradients in soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll a, we found evidence for significant biological uptake of SRP in the inflow embayment during the growing season. This may represent an additional mechanism for the dispersal of phosphorus from the embayment into the lake. The length scale for the transition zone was short (~150 m) which indicated that the direct influence of the inflow on the wider lake was small. However, SRP measurements taken only from the pelagic site underestimated mean lake-wide concentrations when including transition zones by up to 18% during the growing season.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0825-y
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 3 - Science for Water Management > WA - 3.4 - Develop novel and improved methods to enable the sustainable management of freshwaters and wetlands CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 2 - Ecohydrological Processes > WA - 2.3 - Assess the responses of river, lake and wetland ecosystems to ecohydrological drivers CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 2 - Ecohydrological Processes > WA - 2.1 - Identify and quantify sources, fluxes and pathways of water, chemicals ...
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Parr
ISSN:	0018-8158
Additional Keywords:	inflows, transition zone, SRP, chlorophyll a, nutrient delivery, Esthwaite Water
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Hydrology
Date made live:	14 Feb 2012 10:13 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/14276

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0825-y

Programmes:

CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 3 - Science for Water Management > WA - 3.4 - Develop novel and improved methods to enable the sustainable management of freshwaters and wetlands
CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 2 - Ecohydrological Processes > WA - 2.3 - Assess the responses of river, lake and wetland ecosystems to ecohydrological drivers
CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 2 - Ecohydrological Processes > WA - 2.1 - Identify and quantify sources, fluxes and pathways of water, chemicals ...

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Parr

ISSN:

0018-8158

Additional Keywords:

inflows, transition zone, SRP, chlorophyll a, nutrient delivery, Esthwaite Water