Summary
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1.
Seasonal changes in major ions were investigated and compared in three semi-permanent (0.5 meter maximum depth) and two permanent lakes (1.5 meter maximum depth) in southern British Columbia, Canada.
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2.
Rapid evaporation rates cause drastic physical changes in the semi-permanent habitats with late summer condition represented by the concentrated solutions limited to scattered pockets throughout the basin.
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3.
These changes create extreme osmotic stress on organisms inhabiting the systems with late summer solutions at least 10-fold higher than the spring solutions.
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4.
Short-lived vertical density gradients are formed in the early spring, even in systems with maximum depth of 50 cm, by the dilute runoff water forming a layer on top of the concentrated solutions already in the system. Stable density gradients form in late summer stagnant waters in permanent systems.
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5.
Seasonal shifts of cations particularly Na and Mg, were observed in the semi-permanent habitats with sodium dominant systems in the spring changing to magnesium dominant systems in the fall.
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6.
The significance of these cation shifts on the biota are discussed with particular reference to a filamentous green alga Ctenocladus circinnatus Borzi.
Zusammenfassung
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1.
Jahreszeitliche Schwankungen in den wichtigsten Ionen wurden untersucht and miteinander verglichen in drei semipermanenten Seen (0.5 m größte Tiefe) and zwei permanenten Seen (1.5 m größte Tiefe) im südlichen British Columbia, Canada.
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2.
Rasche Verdunstung verursacht tiefgreifende physikalische Änderungen in den semipermanenten Wohngebieten. Konzentrierte Lösungen in vereinzelten Tümpeln kennzeichnen die Bedingungen im Spätsommer.
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3.
Diese Schwankungen bedeuten eine außerordentliche osmotische Beanspruchung der Lebewesen in dem System, da die Gewässer im Spätsommer mindestens zehn mal konzentrierter sind als im Frühjahr.
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4.
Für kurze Zeit im beginnenden Frühjahr bilden sich senkrechte Gefälle der Lösungsdichte aus, selbst in flachen Systemen mit 50 cm größter Tiefe, verursacht durch Überlagerung der bereits vorhandenen konzentrierten Lösungen mit verdünntem Schmelzwasser. Stabile Dichte-Gefälle kommen im Spätsommer in den stagnierenden Wassern der permanenten Systeme zustande.
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5.
Jahreszeitlicher Wechsel in Kationen, namentlich Natrium and Magnesium, wurde in den semipermanenten Wohngebieten beobachtet. Systeme mit vorwiegend Natrium im Frühjahr verwandelten sich in Systeme mit vorwiegend Magnesium im Herbst.
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6.
Die Bedeutung dieser Kationenwechsel für die Lebewesen wird besprochen mit besonderem Hinweis auf die grüne Fadenalge Ctenocladus circinnatus Borzi.
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Department of Botany University of British Columbia
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Blinn, D.W. Dynamics of major ions in some permanent and semi-permanent saline systems. Hydrobiologia 38, 225–238 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00036836
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00036836