Abstract
Data on the intra-annual variation in phytoplankton production for 114 southern and northern hemisphere lakes (42°S to 75° N) were combined to examine broad-scale latitudinal trends. Much of the seasonal variation in production can be statistically explained through the climatic factors of mean annual range of atmospheric temperature and annual variance in incident solar radiation, of which the amplitude of both increases with distance from the equator. Quantification of this latitudinal-climatic trend is an important step in understanding the hierarchial regulation of variability in lake trophic dynamics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Ashton PJ (1985) Seasonality in Southern Hemisphere freshwater phytoplankton assemblages. Hydrobiology 125:279–290
Bartell SM, Brenkert AL, O’Neill RV, Gardner RH (1988) Temporal variation in regulation of production in a pelagic food web model, In: Carpenter SR (ed) Complex interactions in lake communities. Springer-Verlag, New York, p 101–118
Brylinsky M (1980) Estimating the productivity of lakes and reservoirs. In: LeCren ED, Lowe-McConnell RH (eds) The functioning of freshwater ecosystems. IBP 22, New York, pp 411–454
Brylinsky M, Mann KH (1973) An analysis of factors governing productivity in lakes and reservoirs. Limnol Occanogr 18:1–14
Carpenter SR (1989) Replication and treatment strength in whole-lake experiments. Ecology 70:453–463
Carpenter SR, Kitchell JF (1987) The temporal scale of variance in limnetic primary production. Am Nat 129:417–433
Currie DJ, Paquin V (1987) Large-scale biogeographical patterns of species richness of trees. Nature 329:326–327
Fee EJ (1973) A numerical model for determining integral primary production and its application to Lake Michigan. J Fish Res Board Can 30:1447–1473
France RL (1991) Empirical methodology for predicting changes in species range extension and richness associated with climate warming. Int J Biometeorol 34:211–216
France RL (1992) The North American latitudinal gradient in species richness and geographical range of freshwater crayfish and amphipods. Am Nat 139:342–354
Idso SB, Foster JM (1975) An analytical study of three characteristic forms of light-forced primary production in aquatic ecosystems. Oecologia 18:145–154
Kalff J (1991) The utility of latitude and other environmental factors as predictors of nutrients, biomass and production in lakes worldwide: problems and alternatives. Verh Verien Int Limnol 24:1235–1240
Lewis WM (1983) A revised classification of lakes based on mixing. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 40:1779–1887
Lewis WM (1990) Comparisons of phytoplankton biomass in temperate and tropical lakes. Limnol Oceanogr 35:1838–1845
Marshall CT, Peters RH (1989) General patterns in the seasonal development of chlorophyll a for temperate lakes. Limnol Oceanogr 34:856–867
Melack JM (1979) Temporal variability of phytoplankton in tropical lakes. Oecologia 44:1–7
Richardson JL (1975) Morphometry and lacustrine productivity. Limnol Oceanogr 20:661–663
Rosenweig ML (1968) Net primary productivity of terrestrial communities: prediction from climatological data. Am Nat 102:67–74
Schindler DW (1978) Factors regulating phytoplankton production and standing crop in the world’s freshwaters. Limnol Oceanogr 23:478–486
Sommer U, Gliwcz ZM, Lampert W, Duncan A (1986) The PEG model of seasonal succession of planktonic events in fresh waters. Arch Hydrobiol 106:433–471
Stevens GC (1989) The latitudinal gradient in geographical range: how so many species coexist in the tropics. Am Nat 133:240–256
Straskraba M (1980) The effects of physical variables on freshwater production: analyses based on models. In: LeCren ED, Lowe-McConnell RH (eds) The functioning of freshwater ecosystems. IBP 22, New York, pp 13–84
Straskraba M, Gnauck AH (1985) Freshwater ecosystems, modelling and simulation. Elsevier, New York
Turner JR, Gatehouse CM, corey CA (1987) Does solar energy control organic diversity? Butterflies, moths and the British climate. Oikos 48:195–205
Vincent WF, Wurtsbaugh W, Neale PJ, Richerson PJ (1986) Polymixis and algal production in a tropical lake: latitudinal effects on the seasonality of photosynthesis. Freshw Biol 16:781–803
Wright DH (1983) Species-energy theory; an extension of speciesrea theory. Oikos 41:496–506
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
France, R.L. Climatic governance of the latitudinal cline in seasonality of freshwater phytoplankton production. Int J Biometeorol 36, 243–244 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02726405
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02726405