Abstract
Chrysophycean scales were examined in surface sediments collected from 22 high mountain lakes on the southern slope of the Central Alps, some in Italy and some in Switzerland. The study area receives slightly acidic precipitation and summer lake pH ranges between 5.2 and 8.0.
In each lake chrysophycean scale assemblage was dominated by one or two species and its composition was related to lakewater pH.
Five short cores were examined in low-alkalinity lakes and evidence of recent lake acidification was found.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Birks, H. J. B., J. M. Line, S. Juggins, A. C. Stevenson & C. J. F. ter Braak, 1990. Diatoms and pH reconstruction. Phil. Trans. r. Soc., Lond. 327: 263–278.
Charles, D. F. & J. P. Smol, 1988. New methods for using diatoms and chrysophytes to infer past pH of low-alkalinity lakes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 33: 1451–1462.
Charles, D. F., R. W. Battarbee, I. Renberg, H. van Dam & J. P. Smol, 1989. Paleoecological analysis of lake acidification trends in North America and Europe using diatoms and chrysophytes. In S. A. Norton, S. E. Lindberg & S. L. Page (eds), Acidic precipitation. 4. Soils, aquatic processes and lake acidification. Springier-Verlag, New York: 207–275.
Esterby, S. R. & A. H. el-Shaarawi, 1981. Likelihood inference about the point of change in a regression regime. J. Hydrol. 53: 17–30.
Fisher, R. A., 1954. Statistical methods for research workers. Olyver and Boyd, Edimburgh, 138 pp.
Giussani, G., R. de Bernardi, R. Mosello, I. Origgi & T. Ruffoni, 1986. Indagine limnologica sui laghi alpini d'alta quota. Documenta Ist. ital. Idrobiol. 9: 1–415.
Hartmann, H. & C. Steinberg, 1986. Mallomonadacean (Chrysophyceae) scales. Early biotic paleoindicators of lake acidification. Hydrobiologia 143/Dev. Hydrobiol. 37: 87–92.
Marchetto, A., A. Barbieri, R. Mosello & G. A. Tartari, 1994. Acidification and weathering processes in high mountain lakes in Southern Alps. Hydrobiologia 274/Dev. Hydrobiol. 93: 75–81.
Nebaeus, M., 1984. Algal water-blooms under ice cover. Verb. int. Ver. Limnol. 22: 719–724.
Rendberg, I. & M. Wik, 1984. Dating recent lake sediments by sot particle counting. Verb. int. Ver. Limnol. 22: 712–718.
Smol, J. P., 1986. Crysophycean microfossils as indicators of lakewater pH. In J. P. Smol, R. W. Battarbee, R. B. Davis & J. Meriläinen (eds), Diatoms and lake acidity. Dev. Hydrobiol. 29. Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dodrecht: 257–287.
ter Braak, C. J. F., 1987. Calibration. In R. H. G. Jongman, C. J. F. ter Braak & O. F. R. van Tongeren (eds), Data analysis in community and landscape ecology. Pudoc, Wageningen, The Netherlands: 78–90.
ter Braak, C. J. F. & L. G. Barendregt, 1986. Weighted averaging of species indicator value: its efficiency in environmental calibration. Math. Biosci. 78: 57–72.
ter Braak, C. J. F. & H. van Dam, 1989. Inferring pH from diatoms: a comparison of old and new calibration methods. Hydrobiologia 178: 209–223.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marchetto, A., Lami, A. Reconstruction of pH by chrysophycean scales in some lakes of the Southern Alps. Hydrobiologia 274, 83–90 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014630
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014630