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Concentration of nutrients in selected lakes in the High Tatra Mountains, Slovakia: effect of season and watershed

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Abstract

Concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), inorganic and organic nitrogen, organic matter, and chlorophyll-a were studied in ten mountain lakes at various stages of acidification, trophy, and type of watershed during each July and October from 1987 to 1990. Concentrations of TP and total organic matter were higher in July than in October. Concentrations of NH44 +-N decreased and NO3 −-N increased from July to October. The relative composition of total nitrogen (TN) and its concentration were strongly dependent on the type of watershed: the lowest TN concentrations were observed in lakes with forested watersheds, increasing above the timberline and reaching maximum values in acidified lakes with rocky watersheds. In the pool of TN, nitrate was most important in lakes above the timberline (70–86% of TN), and organic nitrogen in forest lakes (> 90% of TN). Lakes with rocky watersheds were characterized by high ratios of TN:TP (> 250 by mass). The concentration of chlorophyll-a varied widely, from 0.01 to 22.6 µg l−1, without any consistent change between July and October, and were P limited.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hydrobiological Institute, Academy of Sciences, Na sádkách 7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Jiří Kopáček & Vojtěch Vyhnálekl

  2. Department of Hydrobiology, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Praha 2, Czech Republic

    Evżen Stuchĺik

  3. Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, Jeséniova 17, 833 15, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Dušan Závodský

Authors
  1. Jiří Kopáček
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  2. Evżen Stuchĺik
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  3. Vojtěch Vyhnálekl
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  4. Dušan Závodský
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Kopáček, J., Stuchĺik, E., Vyhnálekl, V. et al. Concentration of nutrients in selected lakes in the High Tatra Mountains, Slovakia: effect of season and watershed. Hydrobiologia 319, 47–55 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020970

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