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Algal respiration and the regulation of phytoplankton biomass in a polymictic tropical lake (Lake Xolotlán, Nicaragua)

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Abstract

Community respiration in tropical Lake Xolotlán, Nicaragua, was assessed seasonally and during diurnal cycles, via oxygen consumption in bottle enclosures. Results were analysed in relation to phytoplankton biomass, mixing depth, depth of photic zone and phytoplankton production. A great part of community respiration was associated with the heterotrophic activity of the phytoplankton biomass or its degradation by bacteria and 80% of the variability in oxygen consumption was explained by the variation of chlorophyll-a. Specific rate of respiration was 1.5 mg O2 mg Chla-1 h-1 during diurnal cycles, which corresponded to less than 5% of the specific rate at optimum depth of production. Still, diurnal water column respiratory losses were always of the same magnitude as the total photosynthetic gains in the photic zone, since the mixing depth exceeded the depth of the photic zone. Total column net growth was zero at a ratio between depth of photic zone and mixing depth of 0.19. Water level variations however altered the mixing depth and affected this ratio and net growth. As a consequence, the phytoplankton biomass either increased or decreased until the ratio was re-established through changes of the photic zone depth, which was governed by the phytoplankton biomass itself through the chlorophyll-a light attenuation.

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  1. Institute of Limnology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 20, S-752 36, Sweden

    Rolf Erikson

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Erikson, R. Algal respiration and the regulation of phytoplankton biomass in a polymictic tropical lake (Lake Xolotlán, Nicaragua). Hydrobiologia 382, 17–25 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003424802421

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