Effects of water temperature on summer periphyton biomass in shallow lakes: a pan-European mesocosm experiment

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Mahdy A., Hilt S., Filiz N., BEKLİOĞLU M., Hejzlar J., Ozkundakci D., ...More

AQUATIC SCIENCES, vol.77, no.3, pp.499-510, 2015 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 77 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2015
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s00027-015-0394-7
  • Journal Name: AQUATIC SCIENCES
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.499-510
  • Keywords: Climate change, Epiphyton, Eutrophication, Grazing, Top-down control, FOOD-WEB STRUCTURE, FRESH-WATER, SUBMERGED MACROPHYTES, CLIMATE-CHANGE, GASTEROSTEUS-ACULEATUS, THREESPINE STICKLEBACK, COMMUNITY STRUCTURE, RE-COLONIZATION, TOP-DOWN, FISH
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Periphyton communities play an important role in shallow lakes and are controlled by direct forces such as temperature, light, nutrients, and invertebrate grazing, but also indirectly by planktivorous fish predation. We performed a pan-European lake mesocosm experiment on periphyton colonization covering five countries along a north/south geographical/temperature gradient (Estonia, Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey, and Greece). Periphyton biomass on artificial polypropylene strips exposed at 50 cm water depth at low and high nutrient regimes (with mean total phosphorus concentration of 20 and 65 mu g L-1, respectively) was compared during mid-summer. No significant effect of nutrient loading on periphyton biomass was observed as nutrient concentrations in the mesocosms were generally above limiting values. Water temperature significantly enhanced summer periphyton biomass development. Additionally, direct and indirect top-down control of snails and fish emerged as a significant factor in periphyton biomass control.