Abstract
A review about lake naturally eutrophicating, the internal loading of nutrients from lake sediment as well as the mechanism of algal blooms and the control practices was made, especially the eutrophication problem of shallow lakes since seventy percent of fresh water lakes in China are shallow lakes. It was found that shallow lakes are apt toward eutrophication than deep lakes. Without any influences of human activity, shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River are still easily eutrophicated, which may be owing to the effects of flood in this area. In shallow lakes, sediments are frequently disturbed by wind-wave and resuspended, which result in huge nutrients release to overlying water. This may be the major reason for higher internal loading of nutrients in shallow lakes than in deep lakes. Algal bloom is an extreme response of lake ecosystem to the eutrophication. Appearance of algal blooms is related to physical condition of lakes, such as underwater radiation (or transparency), temperature, and hydrodynamic conditions, or related to geochemical conditions of lakes, like concentrations of nutrients and ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus, as well as the physiological advantage of cyanobacteria such as vacuole for moving towards the radiant energy-rich zone and the mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) for resisting the harm of ultraviolet radiation. In shallow lakes, these advantages of cyanobacteria are favorable in the competition than in deep lakes. Also being the shallowness, it is more difficult to reduce nutrient loading and to control algae blooms in shallow lakes. For the control of eutrophication, people should follow the sequence from pollution sources control, ecological restoration to catchment management. To control the internal nutrient release, physical, chemical, biological techniques, and even bionic techniques could be selected. The idea of ecological restoration for a eutrophic lake is to shift the ecosystem from phytoplankton-dominant state to macrophyte-dominant state. To realize the shift of ecosystem state, environmental condition improvement is the fundamental work. Nowadays, we should do more work on environmental condition improvement than on planting of macrophytes since we are lack of the knowledge about the relationship between macrophyte and lake ecosystem. Emphasizing the macrophyte planting, therefore, has blindness at present. Because all lakes have different characteristics of environment and ecosystem, applicable lake harness techniques should be selected based on the distinct ecosystem types and environmental problems.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Wang S M, Dou H S (eds.) Lake Annals of China (in Chinese) Beijing: Science Press, 1998
Qin B Q. Approaches to mechanisms and control of eutrophication of shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. J Lake Sci (in Chinese with English abstract), 2002, 14(3): 193–202
Leavitt P R, Hann B J, Smol J P, et al. Paleolomnological analysis of whole lake experiments an overview of results from Experimental Lakes Area Lake 227. Canadian J Fish Aquatic Sci, 1994, 51: 2322–2332
Stockner J G, Benson W W. The succession of diatom assemblages in the recent sediment of Lake Washington. Limnology and Oceanography, 1967, 12: 513–532
Wetzel R G. Limnology, Lake and River Ecosystems, 3th ed. London: Academy Press, 2001, 245–260
Shen J, Zhang Z L, Sun Q Y, et al. Character and paleoenvironmental significance of the pigment and organic δ13C in sediments of Nansihu Lake. J Lake Sci (in Chinese with English abstract), 1998, 10(2): 17–22
Yang X D, Wang S M, Shen J, et al. Lacustrine environment responses to human activities in the past 300 years in Longgan Lake catchment, southeast China. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2002, 45(8): 709–718
Yang X D, Shen J, Dong X H, et al. Relationship between lake trophic status and ecosystem in lakes from middle and lower reaches in Yangtze River. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2006, 36(suppl II): 51–61
Dong X H, Yang X D, Pan H X. Distribution of modern lake sediment diatoms in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River catchment. Journal of Lake Sciences (in Chinese with English abstract), 2004, 16(4): 298–304
Jeppesen E, Jensen J P, Kristensen P, et al. Fish manipulation as a lake restoration tool in shallow, eutrophic temperate lakes 1: cross-analysis of three Danish case-studies. Hydrobiologia, 1990, 61: 205–218
Havens K E, Jin K R, Rodusky A J, et al. Humcane effects on a shallow lake ecosystem and its response to a controlled manipulation of water level. The Scientific World, 2001, 1: 44–70
Isirimah N O, Keeney D R, Dettmann. Nitrogen cycling in Lake Wingra. Journal of Environmental Quality, 1976, 5: 182–188
Xie L, Xie P. Long-term (1956–1999) dynamics of phosphorus in a shallow, subtropical Chinese lake with the possible effects of cyanobacterial blooms. Water Res, 2002, 36: 343–349
Vollenweider, R A. Scientific Fundamentals of the Eutrophication of Lakes and Flowing Waters, with Particular Reference to Nitrogen and Phosphorus as Factors in Eutrophication. OECD Report No. DAS/CSI/68.27, Paris, 1968, 192; Annex, 21; Bibliography, 61
Mortimer C H. Chemical Exchanges between Sediments and Water in the Great Lakes — Speculations on probable regulatory mechanisms. Limnology and Oceanography, 1971, 16(2): 387–404
Moore P A, Reddy K R. Role of Eh and pH on phosphorus geochemistry in sediments of Lake Okeechobee, Florida. J Environ Quality, 1994, 23: 955–964
Wang T J, Su R, Jin X C, et al. The effects to water quality of phosphorus loading and its release in the sediments of urban eutrophic lakes. Res Environ Sci (in Chinese with English abstract), 1994, 7(4): 12–19
Wang X R, Hua Z Z, Xu L, et al. The effects of the environmental conditions on phosphorus release in lake sediments. Environmental Chemistry (in Chinese with English abstract), 1996, 15(1): 15–19
Xie P. Biological mechanisms driving the seasonal changes in the internal loading of phosphorus in shallow lakes. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2006, 36(suppl II): 14–27
Qin B Q, Hu W P, Chen W M (eds) Processes and Mechanisms of Water Environmental Evolvement of Lake Taihu (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 2004
Qin B Q, Hu W P, Gao G. Dynamics of sediment resuspension and the conceptual schema of nutrient release in large shallow lake Taihu, China Chin Sci Bull, 2004, 49(1): 54–64
Zhu G W, Qin B Q, Gao G. Direct evidence of phosphorus outbreak release from sediment to overlying water in a large shallow lake caused by strong wind. Chin Sci Bull, 2005, 50(6): 577–582
Carrick H J, Aldridge F J, Schelske C L. Wind influences phytoplankton biomass and composition in a shallow, productive lake. Limnology and Oceanography, 1993, 38: 1179–1192
Reddy K R, Fisher M M, Ivanoff D. Resuspension and diffusive flux of nitrogen and phosphorus in a hypereutrophic lake. J Environ Quality, 1996, 25: 363–371
Søndergaard M, Kristensen P, Jeppesen E. Phosphorus release from resuspended sediment in the shallow and wind-exposed Lake Arreso, Denmark. Hydrobiologia, 1992, 228: 91–99
Robarts R D, Waiser M J, Hadas O, et al. Relaxation of phosphorus limitation due to typhoon-induced mixing in two morphologically distinct basins of Lake Biwa, Japan. Limn Oceano, 1998, 43(6): 1023–1035
Ccanfield D E Jr, Hoyer M V. The eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee. Lake Reser Manag, 1988, 4: 91–99
Qin B Q, Zhu G W. The nutrient forms, cycling and exchange flux in the sediment and overlying water system in lakes from the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River (Yangtze River). Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2006, 36(suppl II): 1–13
Bauerle E, Gaedke U. Advance in Limnology 53. Lake Constance Characterization of an Ecosystem in Transition. Advance in Limnology, 1998, 53: 610
Gude H, Rossknecht H, Wagner, Anthropogenic impacts on the trophic state of Lake Constance during 20th century. Arch. Hydrobiol. Advances in Limnology, 1998, 53: 85–108
Jeppesen E, Søndergaard M, Jensen J P, et al. Restoration of Eutrophic Lakes: a Global Perspective. In: Kumagai M, Vincent M F, eds. Freshwater Management Global vs Local Perspectives. Tokyo: Springer-Verlag, 2003, 135–150
Jeppesen E, Søndergaard M, Jensen J P, et al. Cascading trophic interactions from fish to bacteria and nutrient after reducing sewage loading: a 18-year study of shallow eutrophic lake. Ecosystem, 1998, 1: 250–267
Søndergaard M, Jensen J P, Jeppesen E. Internal phosphorus loading in a shallow eutrophic Danish lake. Hydrobiologia, 1999, 408/409: 145–152
Bodelier P L E, Meima-Franke M, Zwart G, et al. New DGGE strategies for the analyses of methanotrophic microbial communities using different combinations of existing 16S rRNA-based primers. FEMS Microbio Eco, 2005, 52(2): 163–174
Jin X C, Tu Q Y. Lake Eutrophication in China (in Chinese). Beijing: Chinese Environmental Science Press, 1995
Rohrlack T, Dittmann E, Henning M, et al. Role of Microcystins in poisoning and food ingestion inhibition of Daphnia galeata caused by the cyanobacterium Nicrocysus aeruginosa. Applied Environ Microbio, 1999, (65): 737–739
Zhang Y L, Qin B Q, Chen W M, et al. Experimental study on underwater light intensity and primary productivity caused by variation of total suspended matter. Advance in Water Science (in Chinese with English abstract), 2004, 15(5): 615–620
Paerl H W. Nuisance phytoplankton blooms in coastal, estuarine, and inland waters. Limn Oceano, 1988, 33(4): 823–847
Zhang Y L, Qin B Q, Chen W M Primary production and photosynthetic parameters under simulated water current regimes. Acta Ecologica Sinica (in Chinese with English abstract), 2004, 24(8): 1808–1815
Smith V H. Low nitrogen to phosphorus ratios favor dominance by blue-green algae in lake phytoplankton. Science, 1983, 221: 669–671
Xie L Q, Xie P, Li S X, et al. The low TN:TP ratio, a cause or a result of Microcystis blooms? Water Res, 2003, 37:2073–2080
Tang H J. Ecological studies on phytoplankton of the shallow, eutrophic Lake Donghu, Dissertation for Doctoral Degree. Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan. 2002
Shapiro J, Lamarra V, Lynch M. Biomanipulation: an ecosystem approach to lake restoration. In: Brezonik P L, Fox J L, eds. Proceedings of a Symposium on Water Quality Management through Biological Control. Univ Fla Gainesville, 1975: 85–69
Henrikson L, Nyman H G, Oscarson H, et al. Trophic changes without change in the external nutrient loading. Hydrobiologia, 1980, 68: 257–263
Shapiro J, Wright D I, Lake restoration by biomanipulation: Round Lake, Minnesota, the first two years. Freshwater Biology, 1984, 14: 371–383
Shapiro J. Biomanipulation the next phase — making it stable. Hydrobiologia, 1990, 200/201: 13–27
Hansson L A, Annadotter H, Bergman E, et al. Biomanipulation as an application of food chain theory: constraints, synthesis and recommendations for temperate lakes. Ecosystems, 1998, 1: 558–574
Drenner R, Hambright D. Review Biomanipulation of fish assemblages as a lake restoration technique. Arch Hydrobiol, 1999, 146: 129–165
Rohrlack T, Dittmann E, Henning M, et al. Role of Microcystins in poisoning and food ingestion inhibition of Daphnia galeata caused by the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. Applied Environ Microbiol, 1999, 65: 737–739
Carpenter S R, Christensen D L, Cole J J, et al. Biological control of eutrophication in lakes. Environ Sci Technol, 1995, 29:784–786
Kobayashi T, Church A, Hardiman S, et al. Grazing by a resident macrozooplankton community and non-resident Daphnia carinata King: A preliminary in situ incubation study. Lakes and Reservoirs: Research and Management, 1998, 3: 193–203
Xie P, Liu J K. Practical success of biomanipulation using filter-feeding fish to control cyanobacterial blooms. The Scientific World, 2001, 1: 337–356
Liu J K, Xie P. Direct control of microcystis bloom through the use of planktivorous carp — closure experiments and lake fishery practice. Ecol Sci (in Chinese with English abstract), 2003, 22(3): 193–196
Xie P. Silver Carp and Bighead, and Their Use in the Control of Algal Blooms (in Chinese with English abstract). Beijing: Science Press, 2003
Padisak J, Reynolds C S. Selection of phytoplankton associations in Lake Balaton, Hungary, in response to eutrophication and restoration measures, with special reference to cyanoprokaryotes. Hydrobiologia, 1998, 384: 41–53
Nixdorf B, Deneke R. Why “Very shallow” lakes are more successful opposing reduced nutrients loads. Hydrobiologia, 1997, 342/343: 269–284
Kopacek J, Hejzlar J, Borovec J, et al. Phosphorus inactivation by aluminum in the water column and sediments: Lowering of in-lake phosphorus availability in an acidified watershed-lake ecosystem. Limn Oceano, 2000, 45(1): 212–225
Wauer G, Gonsiorczyk T, Kretschmer K, et al. Sediment treatment with a nitrate-storing compound to reduce phosphorus release. Water Res, 2005, 39(2–3): 494–500
Walpersdorf E, Neumann T, Stuben D. Efficiency of natural calcite precipitation compared to lake marl application used for water quality improvement in an eutrophic lake. Applied Geochem, 2004, 19(11): 1687–1698
Reitzel K, Hansen J, Jensen H S, et al. Testing aluminum addition as a tool for lake restoration in shallow, eutrophic Lake Sonderby, Denmark. Hydrobiologia, 2003, 506(1–3): 781–787
Deppe T, Benndorf J. Phosphorus reduction in a shallow hypereutrophic reservoir by in-lake dosage of ferrous iron. Water Res, 2002, 36(18): 4525–4534
Scheffer M. Ecology of Shallow Lakes. Dordretcht Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998, 1–313
Fan C X, Zhang L, Wang J J, et al. Processes and mechanism of effects of sludge dredging on internal source release in lakes. Chin Sci Bull, 2004, 49(17): 1853–1859
Qin B Q, Zhu G W, Zhang L, et al. Estimation of internal nutrient release in large shallow Lake Taihu, China. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci, 2006, 36(suppl. II): 38–50
Bachmann R W, Hoyer M V, Canfield Jr D E. The potential for wave disturbance in shallow Florida lakes. Journal of Lake and Reservoir Management, 2000, 16: 281–291
Schauser I, Lewandowski J, Hupfer M. Decision support for the selection of an appropriate in-lake measure to influence the phosphorus retention in sediments. Water Res, 2003, 37: 801–812
Li Z K, Pu P M. Purification of lake water by immobilized nitrobacteria denitrifying bacteria. Journal of Lake Sciences (in Chinese with English abstract), 2000, 12(2): 119–123
Li X M, Yang Z Y, Jian S G, et al. Control of algae bloom in eutrophic water by effective microorganisms. Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni (in Chinese with English abstract), 2000, 39(1): 81–85
Jobgen A M, Palm A, Melkonian M. Phosphorus removal from eutrophic lakes using periphyton on submerged artificial substrata. Hydrobiologia, 2004, 528(1–3): 123–142
Liu S Z, Lin D J, Tang S J, et al. Purification of eutrophic wastewater by Cyperus alternifolius, Coleus blumei, and Jasminum sambac planted in a floating phytoremediation system. Chinese J Appl Ecol (in Chinese with English abstract), 2004, 15(7): 1261–1265
Li X N, Lv X W, Song H L. Purification technique applied in eutrophic water in ecological enclosure. In Proceeding of Techniques for Water Pollution Control and Ecological Eestoration in China, Hangzhou (in Chinese with English abstract) 2004, 257–262
Ji R P, Li X N, Lv X W, et al. Research about the microbes concentrated by artificial medium in water purifying experiment in Meiliang Bay, Lake Taihu. In: Proceeding of Techniques for Water Pollution Control and Ecological Eestoration in China, Hangzhou (in Chinese with English abstract). 2004, 120–124
Mehner T, Benndorf J, Kasprzak P, et al. Biomanipulation of lake ecosystems: successful applications and expanding complexity in the underlying science. Freshwater Biology, 2002, 47(12): 2453–2465
Meijer M L, de Boois I, Schieffer M, et al. Biomanipulation in shallow lakes in The Netherlands: an evaluation of 18 case studies. Hydrobiologia, 1999, 409: 13–30
Drenner R W, Day D J, Basham S J, et al. Ecological water treatment system for removal of phosphorus and nitrogen from polluted water. Biological Application, 1997, 7(2): 381–391
Scheffer M, Carpenter S, Foley J, et al. Catastrophic shifts in ecosystems. Nature, 2001, 413: 591–596
Meijer M L. Biomanipulation in the Netherlands — 15 Years of Experience. Wageningen: University of Wageningen, 2000, 1–208
Qin B Q, Gao G, Hu W P, et al. Reflections on the theory and practice of shallow lake ecosystem restoration. Journal of Lake Sciences (in Chinese with English abstract), 2005, 17(1): 9–16.
Qin B Q, Song Y Z, Gao G. The role of periphytes in the shift between macrophyte and phytoplankton dominated systems in a shallow, eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu, China). Sci China Ser C-Life Sci, 2006, in press
Mitchell S F, Hamilton D P, MacGibbon W S, et al. Interrelations between phytoplankton, submerged macrophytes, black swans (Cygnus atratus) and zooplankton in a shallow New Zealand lake. Internationale Revue der Gesamten Hydrobiologie, 1988, 73, 145–170
McKinnon S L, Mitchell S F. Eutrophication and black swan (Cygnus atratus) populations tests of two simple relationship. Hydrobiologia, 1994, 279/280: 163–170
Hamilton D P, Mitchell S F. An empirical model for sediment resuspension in shallow lakes. Hydrobiologia, 1996, 317: 209–220
Wallsten M, Forsgren P O. The effects of increased water level on the aquatic macrophytes. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management, 1989, 27: 32–37
Bengtsson L, Hellstrom T. Wind-induced resuspension in a small shallow lake. Hydrobiologia, 1992, 241: 163–172
Engel S, Nichols S A. Aquatic macrophyte growth in a turbid windswept lake. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 1994, 9: 97–109
Van Donk E, Grimm M P, Gulati R D, et al. Whole-lake food web manipulation as a means to study community interactions in a small ecosystem. Hydrobiologia, 1990, 200/201: 275–290
Van Donk E, Gulati R D, Iedema A, et al. Macrophyte related shifts in the nitrogen and phosphorus contents of the different trophic levels in a biomanipulated shallow lake. Hydrobiologia, 1993, 19–26
Chen H D, Impact of aquaculture on the ecosystem, the Donghu Lake, Wuhan. Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica (in Chinese), 1989, 13(4): 359–368
Pu P M, Hu W P, Pang Y, et al. A physico-ecological engineering experiment for purifying raw water quality in a lake. Journal of Lake Sciences (in Chinese with English abstract), 1997, 9(2): 159–167
Li W C. Ecological restoration of shallow, eutrophic lakes—Experimental studies on the recovery of aquatic vegetation in Wuli Lake. Journal of Lake Sciences (in Chinese with English abstract), 1996, 8(suppl.): 1–10
Hu W P. Experimental study on ecosystem restoration and water quality purification of lake. In: Qin B Q, Hu W P, Chen W M, eds. Processes and Mechanisms of Water Environmental Evolvement of Lake Taihu (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 2004, 328–330
Pu P M, Wang G X, Li Z K, et al. Degradation of healthy aqua-ecosystem and its remediation: theory, technology and application. Journal of Lake Sciences (in Chinese with English abstract), 2001, 13(3): 193–203
Carpenter S, Caraco N F, Correll D L, et al. Nonpoint Pollution of Surface Waters with Phosphorus and Nitrogen. Issue in Ecology, 1998, 3: 1–12
Harvey R, Havens K, et al. Lake Okeechobee Action Plan Lake Okeechobee Issue Team for the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Working Group, December, 1999, 1–44
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Qin, B., Yang, L., Chen, F. et al. Mechanism and control of lake eutrophication. CHINESE SCI BULL 51, 2401–2412 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-006-2096-y
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-006-2096-y