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The spatio-temporal variations of sedimentary phosphorus in Taihu Lake and the implications for internal loading change and recent eutrophication

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Abstract

Internal phosphorus loading is particularly concerned for the shallow lakes due to the frequent sediment disturbance, which may play a vital role in changing nutrient level in overlying water. A historical perspective on internal phosphorus loading may contribute to understanding its contribution to recent eutrophication. In this work, a study on the changes in internal phosphorus loading and release potential in Taihu Lake, a shallow eutrophic lake in China, was performed based on the analysis of spatio-temporal variations of sedimentary total phosphorus and three operationally defined fractions (NaOH-P, HCl-P and OP). The influencing factors for changing internal loading were discussed. The results showed that internal phosphorus loading was elevated compared to pre-eutrophication periods and the increase has occurred since approximately the late 1970s to early 1980s. Changes in internal phosphorus loading were primarily attributed to the NaOH-P and OP fractions, relating to anthropogenic inputs and enhanced productivity, respectively. The internal phosphorus release potential may be enhanced by up to 22% currently relative to the pre-eutrophication period; however, it should play a secondary role to external input in enhancing nutrient levels and sustaining the eutrophication in Taihu Lake.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Yuxin Zhu for his assistance during the ICP-AES analysis, Jianjun Wang and Xianghua Meng for their help during field sampling and two anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments on the manuscript. This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41071320), National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB956100) and ‘333’ Talents Project of Jiangsu Province (BRA2011228).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Enfeng Liu, Ji Shen, Enlou Zhang & Chenchang Du

  2. School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Hezhong Yuan

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  1. Enfeng Liu
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  2. Ji Shen
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  3. Hezhong Yuan
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  4. Enlou Zhang
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Correspondence to Enfeng Liu or Ji Shen.

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Handling editor: Jasmine Saros

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Liu, E., Shen, J., Yuan, H. et al. The spatio-temporal variations of sedimentary phosphorus in Taihu Lake and the implications for internal loading change and recent eutrophication. Hydrobiologia 711, 87–98 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1465-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1465-1

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