Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nutrient relationships in shallow water in an African Lake, Lake Naivasha

  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

In the littoral zone of a shallow, tropical lake (Lake Naivasha, Kenya), average nutrient composition of emergent macrophytes along a permanent transect (0–2m depth) on a dry weight basis was: P 0.23%; N 0.96%; and S 0.11%. In the hydrosoil the average composition was much lower, sediments were: P 0.03%; N 0.24%; and S 0.05%. The water depth varied, with lake edge being exposed during the annual drawdown for a part of the year and subsequently being inundated. Water quality varied considerably during the year (temperature 19–28°C; pH 7.0–8.0; conductivity 282–975 μ Scm-1).

Of the three nutrients in the water of the littoral zone, N had the highest mean concentration (4.25 mg·1-1) while P was intermediate (1.90) and sulphur had the least (0.99). The distribution of nutrients followed a decreasing gradient from shore to open water. High levels of nutrients were recorded in September following the inundation of drawdown soil and plant material.

The large stock of nutrients generated in the littoral zone helps to replenish nutrients in the open lake where low concentrations are typical.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anon 1968 Determination of sulphur in soils and Plant Material. Technical Bulletin No. 14. The Sulphur Institute, 1725 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006

  • Anon 1978 Limnological investigation of lakes in Kenya 1976–1977. Technical Report No. 6. Water Quality and Pollution Control Section, Ministry of Water Development, Kenya

  • Boyd CE, 1970 Losses of mineral nutrients by decomposition of Typha latifolia. Arch Hydrobiol 66:511–517

    Google Scholar 

  • Beauchamp RSA, 1953 Sulphate in African inland waters. Nature 171:769–771

    Google Scholar 

  • de la Cruz AA, and Gabriel BC, 1974 Caloric, elemental and nutritive changes in decomposing Juncus roemerianus leaves. Ecology 55:881–886

    Google Scholar 

  • Dykyjova D, and Kvet J, 1978 Pond Littoral Ecosystems. Berlin Heidelberg New York, Springer Ecological Studies 28

    Google Scholar 

  • Fish GR, 1956 Chemical factors limiting growth of phytoplankton in Lake Victoria. E Afri Agric J 21:152–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudet JJ, 1974 The normal role of vegetation in water. In: D Mitchell (Editor), Aquatic Vegetation and Its Use and Control. UNESCO, Paris p 24–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudet JJ, 1975 Mineral concentrations in papyrus in various African swamps. J Ecol 63:483–491

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudet JJ, 1976 Salvinia infestation on Lake Naivasha, Kenya. In: Varshney and Rzoska Aquatic Weeds in S.E. Asia, Junk Publ The Hague p 193–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudet JJ, 1977a Natural drawdown on Lake Naivasha (Kenya) and the origin of papyrus swamps. Aquatic Botany 3:1–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudet JJ, 1977b Uptake, accumulation, and loss of nutrients by papyrus in tropical swamps. Ecology 58:415–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudet JJ, 1979 Seasonal changes in nutrients in a tropical swamp. North Swamp, Lake Naivasha, Kenya. J Ecol 67:953–981

    Google Scholar 

  • Godschalk GL, Wetzel RW, 1978 Decomposition in aquatic angiosperms. I. Dissoved components. II. Particulate components. III. Zostera marina L. and a conceptual model of decomposition. Aquatic Botany 5:281–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Golterman H, 1975 Physiological Limnology. An Approach to the Physiology of Lake Ecosystems. Elsevier Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorham E, 1953 Chemical studies on the soils and vegetation of water-logged habitats of the English Lake district. J Ecol 41:435–460

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard-Williams C, 1972 Limnological studies in an African swamp: Seasonal and spatial changes in the swamps of Lake Chilwa (Malawi). Arch Hydrobiol 70:379–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard-Williams C, 1973 Vegetation and environment in the marginal areas of a tropical African lake (Lake Chilwa, Malawi). Ph D thesis, University of London

  • Howard-Williams C, 1977 The distribution of nutrients in Swartvlei, a Southern Cape Coastal Lake. Reprinted from Water SA, Vol 3 No 4, Oct

  • Howard-Williams C, Howard-Williams W, 1978 Nutrient leaching from the swamp vegetation of Lake chilwa, a shallow African lake. Aquatic Botany 4:257–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard-Williams C, Junk WJ, 1976 The decomposition of aquatic macrophytes in the floating meadows of an Amazonian varzea lake. In: P. Muller (Editor) Neotropische Okosysteme. Biogeographica 7:115–123

  • Howard-Williams C, Lenton G, 1975 The role of littoral zone in the functioning of a shallow tropical lake ecosystem. Freshwater Biol 5:445–459

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson GE, 1975 A Treatise on Limnology Vol 1, Part 2 — Chemistry of Lakes. John Wiley and Sons

  • Lind E, Visser S, 1962 A study of a swamp at the north end of Lake Victoria. J Ecol 50:599–613

    Google Scholar 

  • Luther H, Rzoska J Project Aqua A source book of inland waters proposed for conservation. International Biological Programme Handbook No 21

  • MacIntyre S, 1975 Ortho-phosphate concentrations in Kenyan lakes. (Abst.) 38th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Halifax, Nova Scotia

  • MacLachlan S, 1971 The rate of nutrient release from grass and dung following immersion in lake water. Hydrobiologia 37:521–530

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason CF 1977 Decompsotition. Studies in Biology No 74, E Arnold Pub Ltd London p 58

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason CF, Bryant RJ, 1975 Production, mineral content and decomposition of Phragmites communis Trin. and Typha angustifolia L J Ecol 63:71–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathews CP, Kowalczewski A, 1969 The disappearance of leaf litter and its contribution to production in the River Thames. J Ecol 57:543–552

    Google Scholar 

  • Melack J M, 1976 Limnology and dynamics of phytoplankton in equatorial African lakes. Ph D Thesis, Dept of Zoology, Duke University, Durham NC

    Google Scholar 

  • Odum EP, 1971 Fundamentals of Ecology. WB Saunders Company

  • Peters RH, and MacIntyre S, 1976 Ortho-phosphate turnover in East African lakes. Oecologia (Berl) 25:313–319

    Google Scholar 

  • Planter M, 1970 Elution of mineral components out of dead reed, Phragmites communis Trin Pol Arch Hydrobiol 17:357–362

    Google Scholar 

  • Reice SR, 1974 Environmental patchiness and the breakdown of leaf litter in a woodland stream. Ecology 55:1271–1282

    Google Scholar 

  • Visser SA, 1964 A study of the decomposition of Cyperus papyrus in the swamps of Uganda, in natural peat deposits, as well as in the presence of various additives. Eas Afri Agric For J 29:268–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetzel GR 1975 Limnology. WB Saunders Company Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya

    John J. Gaudet & Francis M. Muthuri

Authors
  1. John J. Gaudet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Francis M. Muthuri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gaudet, J.J., Muthuri, F.M. Nutrient relationships in shallow water in an African Lake, Lake Naivasha. Oecologia 49, 109–118 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00376907

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00376907

Keywords

Search

Navigation