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Paleolimnological reconstruction of the trophic state in Lake Balaton (Hungary) using Cladocera remains

  • CLADOCERA AS INDICATORS
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Abstract

The sediment of Lake Balaton (Hungary) provides important information about the lake’s history, particularly with regard to eutrophication. In this study, we used fossil pigment analysis and subfossil Cladocera remains preserved in a dated sediment core to identify trophic stages from ~250 bc to present. Dates of the most recent eutrophic events are in good agreement with previously published data. In general, the abundance and diversity of the Cladocera community increased with eutrophication and decreased with oligotrophication. The sediments of Lake Balaton were characterised by Chydoridae remains, of which Alona species were the most abundant. Of these, Alona quadrangularis and Alona affinis accounted for 40 and 20% of the total Cladocera remains, respectively. The trophic state of Lake Balaton varied between mesotrophic and eutrophic regimes. Seven different trophic periods were identified in Lake Balaton on the basis of Sedimentary Pigment Degradation Unit (SPDU) content of the sediment. Eutrophic states were (1) from ~250 to ~30 bc, (3) between ~300 and ~590 ad, (5) between 1834 and 1944 and (7) from the 1960s until present. Mesotrophic states were (2) ~30 bc to ~300 ad, (4) 590–1834, (6) 1944–1960s. Discriminant analysis of the cladoceran data confirmed these historic events, except for the short mesotrophic episode between 1944 and 1960. The first stage of eutrophication of Lake Balaton (~250 to ~30 bc) was characterised by extensive macrophyte vegetation, as indicated by the increasing abundance of vegetation-associated Cladocera species (Eurycercus lamellatus, Sida crystallina, Pleuroxus sp.). Intensification of eutrophication was identified since the 1980s, reflected by a high abundance of Bosmina species. The most significant planktivorous fish of Lake Balaton was the Sabre carp (Pelecus cultratus), and when its number decreased, the abundance of Bosmina species increased. This study shows that Cladocera are responsive to trophic state changes, underlining their importance as a tool for the assessment of lake eutrophication.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. László Forró (Hungarian Natural History Museum) for his valuable pieces of advice, and Richard William McIntosh (University of Debrecen) for grammatical review. The authors thank their colleagues from Laboratory of West-Transdanubian District Water Authority for their help with data collection and collaboration. This study was financially supported by Hungarian National Science Foundation, OTKA-T 049098 and Hungarian National Research and Development Program BALÖKO 3B022/04, TÁMOP 4.2.2-08/1-2008-0020, TÁMOP 4.2.1/B-09/1/KONV-2010-0006.

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  1. West-Transdanubian District Water Authority, Csik F. str. 4, 8360, Keszthely, Hungary

    János Korponai

  2. Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, University of West Hungary, Károly Gáspár tér 4, 9700, Szombathely, Hungary

    János Korponai, Katalin A. Varga & Timea Lengré

  3. Department of Mineralogy and Geology, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 4, 4010, Debrecen, Hungary

    István Papp

  4. Department of Hydrobiology, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 71, 4010, Debrecen, Hungary

    Albert Tóth

  5. Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 21, 4010, Debrecen, Hungary

    Mihály Braun

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  1. János Korponai
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Correspondence to János Korponai.

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Korponai, J., Varga, K.A., Lengré, T. et al. Paleolimnological reconstruction of the trophic state in Lake Balaton (Hungary) using Cladocera remains. Hydrobiologia 676, 237–248 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0898-7

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