Abstract
Inorganic and organic nutrients are continuously transported to lake bottoms by sedimentation. By various biological, physical, chemical and mechanical processes quantities of certain nutrients can be brought back to the free water again. This cycling between the sediments and water may occur according to various schemes dependent on lake type and bottom conditions. Lake morphology, temperature regimes, trophic level and sediment type can all strongly influence the size of nutrient pools and rates of turnover.
The various activities of bacteria, benthic algae, macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and fish, in conjunction with influences of temperature, pH-values, Eh-values, water content, organic matter and elemental sediment composition, lead to the extremely complex nature of nutrient cycling. Three essential components of aquatic ecosystems are discussed, namely carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus.
The objective of this paper is to illustrate in condensed form the heterogeneous nature of nutrient cycling processes. In addition, the importance of sediments in understanding nutrient cycling is discussed from a water management perspective.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blackburn, T. H. & K. Henriksen, 1983. Nitrogen cycling in different types of sediments from Danish waters. Limnol. Oceanogr. 28: 477–493.
Boström, B., 1988. Relations between chemistry, microbial biomass and activity in sediments of a polluted vs a nonpolluted lake. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 23: 451–459.
Boström, B., M. Jansson & C. Forsberg, 1982. Phosphorus release from lake sediments. Arch. Hydrobiol. Beih. Ergenb. Limnol. 18: 5–59.
Boström, B., J. M. Andersen, S. Fleischer & M. Jansson, 1988. Exchange of phosphorus across the sediment-water interface. Hydrobiologia. 170: 229–244.
Boström, B. & A.-K. Pettersson, 1986. The role of Microcystis colonies for nutrient fluxes between sediments and lake water — a working hypothesis: Abstract. Fourth International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, 1986, 40 pp.
Enell, M. & S. Lofgren, 1988. Phosphorus in interstitial water: methods and dynamics. Hydrobiologia. 170: 103–132.
Einsele, W., 1938. Über chemische and kolloidchemische Vorgange in Eisen-Phosphat-Systemen unter limnochemischen and limnogeologischen Gesichtspunkten. Arch. Hydrobiol. 33: 361–387.
Fenchel, T. & T. H. Blackburn, 1979. Bacteria and mineral cycling. Academic Press. Lond. 225 pp.
Forsberg, C., 1985. Lake recovery in Sweden: EWPCA Int. Congr. Lakes Pollution and recovery, Rome Aprtil 1985. Proceedings pp 352–361.
Forsberg, C., 1987. Evaluation of lake restoration in Sweden. Schweiz. Z Hydrol. 49: 261–274.
Forsberg, C., S.-O. Ryding, A. Claesson & Å. Forsberg, 1978. Water chemical analyses and/or algal assay? — Sewage effluent and polluted lake water studies. Mitt. int. Ver. Limnol. 21: 352–363.
Fry, J. C., 1982. Interactions between bacteria and benthic invertebrates: in D. B. Nedwell and C. M. Brown (ed.), Sediment Microbiology. Academic Press. Lond.: 171–201.
Fogg, G. E., 1964. Environmental conditions and the pattern of metabolism in algae: In D. F. Jackson (ed.), Algae and Man. Plenum Press. N.Y.: 77–85.
Golterman, H. L., 1975. Physiologicallimnology. An approach to the physiology of lake ecosystems. Developments in Water Science, 2. Elsevier Sci. Publ. Co. Amsterdam. 489 pp.
Golterman, H. L. (ed.), 1977. Interactions between sediment and water: Dr. W. Junk, The Hague, The Netherlands, 473
Granéli, W. & D. Solander, 1988. Influence of aquatic macrophytes on phosphorus cycling in lakes. Hydrobiologia. 170: 245–266.
Gächter, R. & A. Mares. Does settling seston release reactive phosphorus in the hypolimnion of lakes? Limnol. Oceanogr. 30: 364–371.
Holdren, G. C. & D. E. Armstrong, 1986. Interstitial ion concentrations as an indicator of phosphorus release and mineral formation in lake sediments: In P. G. Sly (ed.). Sediments and Water Interactions: Springer-Verlag, N.Y.: 133–147.
Håkansson, L. & M. Jansson, 1983. Principles of Lake Sedimentology: Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 316 pp.
Hutchinson, G. E., 1957. A treatiseon limnology. 1. Geography, physics and chemistry: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. N.Y.: 1015 pp.
Jones, J. G., 1982. Activities of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in lake sediments and their effect on the water column. In D. B. Nedwell and C. M. Brown (eds.), Sediment Microbiology. Academic Press. Lond.: 107–145.
Jones, J. G., 1985. Denitrification in freshwaters. In H. L. Golterman (ed.). Denitrification in the nitrogen cycle. Plenum Press. N.Y. and Lond.: 225–239.
Lee, G. F., W. C. Sonzogni & R. D. Spear, 1977. Significance of oxic vs anoxic conditions for Lake Mendota sediment phosphorus release: in H. L. Golterman (ed.), Interactions between sediment and water. Dr. W. Junk, The Hague, The Netherlands: 294–306.
Lewin, R. A., 1962. Physiology and biochemistry of algae. Academic Press, New York and Lond. 929 pp.
Lijklema, L., 1985. Internal loading — mechanisms and assessment of magnitude: EWPCA Int. Congr. Lakes Pollution and recovery, Rome April 1985. Proceedings pp 181–188
Löfgren, S., 1987. Phosphorus retention in sediments — implications for aerobic phosphorus release in shallow lakes: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Comprehensive summaries of Uppsala dissertations from the faculty of science. 23 pp.
Matisoff, G., J. B. Fisher & S. Matis, 1985. Effects of benthic macroinvertebrates on the exchange of solutes between sediments and freshwater. Hydrobiologia 122: 19–33.
Mortimer, C. H., 1941. The exchange of dissolved substances between mud and water in lakes. I. J. Ecol. 29: 280–329.
Mortimer, C. H., 1942. The exchange of dissolved substances between mud and water in lakes. II. J. Ecol. 30: 147–201.
Naumann, E., 1930. Einführing in die Bodenkunde der Seen. Binnengewasser 9: 1–126.
Petr, T., 1977. Bioturbation and exchange of chemicals in the mud-water interface: In H. L. Golterman (ed.). Interactions between sediment and water. Dr. W. Junk, The Hague, The Netherlands: 216–226.
Pettersson, K., 1986. The fractional composition of phosphorus in lake sediments of different characteristics: In P. G. Sly (ed.), Sediments and water interactions. Springer-Verlag, N.Y.: 149–155.
Pettersson, K., B. Boström & O.-S. Jacobsen, 1988. Phosphorus in sediments - speciation and analysis: Hydrobiologia. 170: 91–101.
Provini, A. & G. Premazzi, 1985. The role of internal loadings: EWPCA Int. Congr. Lake Pollution and recovery, Rome April 1985. Proceedings pp 133–144
Ripl, W., 1976. Biochemical oxidation of polluted lake sediment with nitrate — a new lake restoration method. Ambio 5: 132–135.
Ryding, S.-O. & C. Forsberg, 1977. Sediments as a nutrient source in shallow polluted lakes: In H. L. Golterman (ed.), Interactions between sediment and water. Dr. W. Junk, The Hague, The Netherlands: 227–234.
Sly, P. G., (ed.), 1982. Sediment/freshwater interaction. Developments in Hydrobiology 9, Dr. W. Junk, The Hague, The Netherlands, 700 p.
Sly, P. G., (ed.), 1986. Sediments and water interactions. Springer-Verlag, N.Y.: 521 pp.
Smith, C. S. & M. S. Adams, 1986. Phosphorus transfer from sediments by Myriophyllum spicatum. Limnol. Oceanogr. 31: 1312–1321.
van Eck, G. Th. M. & J. G. C. Smits, 1986. Calculation of nutrients fluxes across the sediment-water interface in shallow lakes: In P. G. Sly (ed.), Sediments and water interactions. Springer-Verlag, N.Y.: 289–301.
Wetzel, R. G., 1983. Limnology: 2nd ed. Saunders College Publishing. Philadelphia. 767 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Forsberg, C. Importance of sediments in understanding nutrient cyclings in lakes. Hydrobiologia 176, 263–277 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00026561
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00026561