Environmental factors favouring the formation of Microcystis aeruginosa hyperscums in a hypertrophic lake

Abstract

Hyperscums are crusted buoyant mats of densely packed cyanobacteria, often decimeters thick, that persist for periods of weeks to months at the same site. In Hartbeespoort Dam, a hypertrophic lake in South Africa, hyperscums of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa that cover more than a hectare and contain up to 2 tons of chlorophyll a typically form in winter and persist for 2–3 months. This paper reports on the environmental conditions that favour hyperscum formation.

Reynolds & Walsby (1975) postulated that cyanobacterial bloom formation depended on the coincidence of three preconditions: a pre-existing population, a significant proportion of the organisms having positive buoyancy, and turbulent mixing that is too weak to overcome the tendency of the cells to float. This model of bloom formation is evaluated in the context of hyperscums, based on a case-study from Hartbeespoort Dam. We examine the occurrence of hyperscums and the dynamics of their formation and breakdown in relation to diurnal and seasonal changes in the wind regime and in relation to the population dynamics and buoyancy of Microcystis. We conclude that Reynolds and Walsby's preconditions are essential but not sufficient to explain hyperscum formation. The additional preconditions are prolonged low speed wind regime, suitable lake morphometry, large cyanobacterial standing crops, and high insolation. The rare co-occurrence of these conditions make hyperscums an uncommon phenomenon, but with increasing eutrophication worldwide the frequency and distribution of hyperscum occurrence are likely to increase.