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Rapid Recovery from Eutrophication of a Stratified Lake by Disruption of Internal Nutrient Load

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Abstract

Restoration of anthropogenically eutrophied lake ecosystems is difficult due to feedback mechanisms that stabilize the trophically degraded state. Here, we show rapid recovery of a eutrophic stratified lake in response to multiple restoration that targeted the feedback mechanisms of high external and internal nutrient loads, lack of a trophic cascade, and lack of structured littoral habitats. Lake Tiefwarensee (Germany) was exposed to aluminium and calcium treatment and fisheries management over 5 years. Within this period, in-lake phosphorus concentrations declined by more than 80%, and transparency, zooplankton biomass and fish assemblage structure and biomass responded immediately and almost linearly to the reduction in phosphorus concentrations. Phytoplankton biomass and chlorophyll a (chl a) concentrations likewise decreased in response to restoration, but the declining trend was interrupted by one recovery year with unusually high phytoplankton biomasses. The zooplankton:phytoplankton biomass ratio and the chl a:phosphorus ratio approached values observed in other stratified lakes during natural recovery from eutrophication. The slow response of Tiefwarensee to the reduction of external load, and the quick response to the chemical treatment suggest that the disruption of internal P recycling and loading was the decisive restoration measure in Tiefwarensee. The external load reduction was a necessary but not sufficient measure, at least in the short-term, whereas the low-effort fisheries management was of minor importance. A comparison with other case studies confirms that measures aiming to inactivate phosphorus are the most efficient approaches to restore stratified lakes in the short-term, but a shift to a permanent near-pristine state is possible only by additional P input control.

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Acknowledgements

Lake restoration and research were financed by the Environmental Ministry of the German Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the city of Waren (Müritz). Technical support during sampling and raw sample analyses was given by J. Dalchow, U. Mallok, R. Rossberg, M. Sachtleben, R. Degebrodt, C. Helms, T. Rohde and A. Türck. K. Kalies counted the phytoplankton and zooplankton samples. Brett Johnson, Erik Jeppesen as subject editor and four anonymous reviewers gave many insightful comments which helped improve the text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, P.O. Box 850 119, Müggelseedamm 310, 12561, Berlin, Germany

    Thomas Mehner, Markus Diekmann, Marion Rumpf & Michael Schulz

  2. Department of Limnology of Stratified Lakes, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Alte Fischerhütte 2, 16775, Stechlin-Neuglobsow, Germany

    Thomas Gonsiorczyk, Peter Kasprzak, Rainer Koschel, Lothar Krienitz & Gerlinde Wauer

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  1. Thomas Mehner
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  2. Markus Diekmann
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  9. Gerlinde Wauer
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Correspondence to Thomas Mehner.

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Author Contributions: T.M. designed the study, analyzed data, and wrote the paper. M.D. analyzed data. T.G. analyzed data. P.K. designed the study and analyzed data. R.K. conceived of and designed the study. L.K, M.R. and M.S. analyzed data. G.W. contributed new methods, analyzed data and wrote parts of the paper. All authors contributed to writing the final version.

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Mehner, T., Diekmann, M., Gonsiorczyk, T. et al. Rapid Recovery from Eutrophication of a Stratified Lake by Disruption of Internal Nutrient Load. Ecosystems 11, 1142–1156 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-008-9185-5

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