Spring phytoplankton phenology: are patterns and drivers of change consistent among lakes in the same climatological region?

Feuchtmayr, Heidrun; Thackeray, Stephen J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3274-2706; Jones, Ian D.; De Ville, Mitzi; Fletcher, Janice; James, Ben; Kelly, Jack. 2012 Spring phytoplankton phenology: are patterns and drivers of change consistent among lakes in the same climatological region? [in special issue: Insights from long-term studies in the Windermere catchment] Freshwater Biology, 57 (2). 331-344. 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2011.02671.x

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Official URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-...

Abstract/Summary

1. Advancement of phytoplankton peaks has been reported from a large variety of aquatic systems, attributed mostly to climate warming. Most studies have used chlorophyll a as a proxy for phytoplankton biomass. Here, we investigated phenology of three phytoplankton taxa (Asterionella formosa, Aulacoseira spp. and Cryptomonas spp.) in four lakes of the English Lake District situated within the same catchment over a 58-year period (1945–2003). 2. We used two methods (the centre of gravity method and a fitted Weibull-type function) to quantify the timing of the spring bloom. Both methods gave similar results for the diatoms, but not for Cryptomonas spp. 3. The timing of the spring bloom advanced over the study period for A. formosa but was delayed for Aulacoseira spp. and Cryptomonas spp.. These changes were consistent in all four lakes. 4. We tested whether surface water temperatures prior to the time of phytoplankton peak abundance, winter soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and silicate concentrations, winter taxon inoculum, Schmidt stability or a combination of these affected phytoplankton phenology in the four lakes. Results were remarkably consistent: each driver either advanced or delayed the peak of each taxon in all four lakes. However, the different drivers affected the taxa differently. 5. Contrary to our expectations, the regional driver, temperature, did not have a consis-tent effect on the three phytoplankton taxa, significantly advancing A. formosa and Aulacoseira spp. in the North Basin of Windermere but significantly delaying Cryptomonas spp. peaks in three lakes. Overall, the locally variable driver, SRP concentration, had a more consistent effect upon phenology, affecting all taxa in nearly all lakes.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1111/j.1365-2427.2011.02671.x
Programmes:	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 > Biodiversity > BD Topic 1 - Observations, Patterns, and Predictions for Biodiversity > BD - 1.4 - Quantify and model interactions to determine impacts ... CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water > WA Topic 2 - Ecohydrological Processes > WA - 2.4 - Quantify the importance of food web structure and trophic interactions ...
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Parr
ISSN:	0046-5070
Additional Keywords:	overwintering population, silicate, soluble reactive phosphorus, temperature, timing of peak algae abundance
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	17 Jan 2013 12:19 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/12412

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1111/j.1365-2427.2011.02671.x

Programmes: