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A study of absorption characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and particles in Lake Taihu, China

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Abstract

Absorptions by non-phytoplankton particles and phytoplankton, and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were measured at 50 sites in large, shallow, Lake Taihu in winter and summer 2006 to study their seasonal and spatial variations, and their relative contributions to total absorption. The CDOM absorption was significantly higher in winter than in summer, due to degradation and release of fixed carbon in phytoplankton and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). The hyperbolic model was used to model the spectral absorption of CDOM, and the mean spectral slope of 6.38 nm−1 was obtained. At most sites, the spectral absorption of non-phytoplankton particles was similar to that of the total particles, demonstrating that the absorption of the total particles is dominated by the absorption of non-phytoplankton particles. In summer, phytoplankton absorption increased markedly, due to frequent algal blooms especially in Meiliang Bay. In winter, the significant increase in non-phytoplankton particle absorption resulted from the increase of inorganic particulate matter caused by sediment resuspension. Strong linear relationships were found between a d(440) and total suspended matter (TSM), organic suspended matter (OSM), and inorganic suspended matter (ISM). Strong linear relationships were also found between a ph(440), a ph(675) and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration. The total relative contributions of non-phytoplankton particles over the range of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (400–700 nm) were 48.4 and 79.9% in summer and winter respectively. Non-phytoplankton particle absorption dominated the total absorption, especially in winter, in Lake Taihu, due to frequent sediment resuspension in the large shallow lake as a result of strong windy conditions. The results indicate that strong absorption by CDOM and non-phytoplankton particles at the blue wavelength has an impact on the spectral availability, and acts as a selection factor for the composition of the phytoplankton community, with cyanobacteria being the dominate species in Lake Taihu.

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Abbreviations

a(λ), ap(λ), ad(λ), aph(λ), aCDOM(λ), aw(λ):

Spectral absorption coefficient of total, total particles, non-phytoplankton particles, phytoplankton, CDOM and pure water, respectively (m−1)

Chl-a :

Chlorophyll a concentration (μg l−1)

PAR:

Photosynthetically available radiation (400–700 nm)

S, Sd:

The absorption spectral slope of CDOM and non-phytoplankton particles

SAV:

Submerged aquatic vegetation

TSM, OSM, ISM:

Total, organic and inorganic suspended matter concentration, respectively (mg l−1)

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences entitled “Key technology research on hyperspectral remote sensing of three typical water quality parameters in inland waters” (KZCX3-SW-350). We would like to express our deep thanks to Dr. Poynton S. L. for checking the English language and two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, P.R. China

    Yunlin Zhang, Sheng Feng, Qiaohua Zhao, Mingliang Liu & Boqiang Qin

  2. State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Jointly Sponsored by the Institute of Remote Sensing Applications of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100101, P.R. China

    Bing Zhang & Junsheng Li

  3. Department of Environment Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, P.R. China

    Xin Wang

  4. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, P.R. China

    Junsheng Li, Sheng Feng & Qiaohua Zhao

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  1. Yunlin Zhang
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Correspondence to Yunlin Zhang.

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Zhang, Y., Zhang, B., Wang, X. et al. A study of absorption characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and particles in Lake Taihu, China. Hydrobiologia 592, 105–120 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0724-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0724-4

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