Abstract
Extensive biological research has been carried out during the first four years after isolation and freshening of Lake Volkerak-Zoom, a former part of the marine-tidal Oosterschelde. Freshening took place in 8 months. Research on submerged macrophytes has been an important part of the investigation because the aim of the water management was to establish a clear and stable freshwater ecosystem, despite high nutrient loading.
In the first year after closure the marine Zostera noltii vanished. and the brackish water Ruppia maritima colonized the lake. In subsequent years, several freshwater species colonized the lake (e.g. Potamogeton pusillus, P. pectinatus, Zannichellia palustris, Callitriche sp. and Chara sp.). The total area in the shallow zone (0.5–5.0 m) covered by submerged macrophytes, increased from less than 1% in 1987 to 22.5% in 1991.
Characteristics (height, flowering and fruiting) of the main species (P. pusillus, P. pectinatus, Z. palustris, R. maritima) were closely related to water temperature and secchi depth.
Waterfowl consumed about half of the production of the submerged macrophytes.
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Schutten, J., van der Velden, J.A. & Smit, H. Submerged macrophytes in the recently freshened lake system Volkerak-Zoom (The Netherlands), 1987–1991. Hydrobiologia 275, 207–218 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00026712
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00026712