Skip to main content
Log in

Phosphorus uptake by suspended and settling seston in a stratified reservoir

  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Total and abiotic P-uptake rates and P-uptake capacities of seston suspended in the water column and of entrapped settling seston were measured by a radiotracer method in the moderately eutrophic Rímov Reservoir. The study was carried out over one seasonal cycle to investigate whether the settling seston was a sink or a source of dissolved orthophosphate. Total P-uptake rate and P-uptake capacity of both types of seston increased in the epilimnion during the summer months when dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) concentrations <3 μg l−1 and sestonic C:P ratios >180 (molar) indicated P-deficiency of phytoplankton. The P-uptake capacity within the flux of particles sinking from the epilimnion in this period corresponded to the removal of 1–4 mg P m−2d−1 from the lower, DRP-rich layers. During the remaining parts of the year and at other depths, the P-uptake rates and capacities were low but always positive. Abiotic uptake represented <10% of the total uptake in the summer epilimnion samples but nearly 100% in all others. This indicates that biotic P-uptake (apparently by living phytoplankton cells with a depleted cellular P-quota within the settling seston) was dominant in the epilimnion and upper metalimnion while abiotic processes prevailed in the lower layers. Based on these results and on information from the literature we suggest that settling seston possesses this biotic P-uptake capacity generally in all P-limited lakes and that this largely accounts for the observed decrease of sestonic C:P ratios with depth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bloesch, J. N. M. Burns, 1980. A critical review of sedimentation trap technique. Schweiz. Zeitsc. Hydrol.-Swiss J. Hydrol. 42: 15–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole T. M. H. H. Hannan, 1990. Dissolved oxygen dynamics. In Thornton, K. W., B. L. Kimmel F. E. Payne (eds), Reservoir Limnology: Ecological Perspectives. J. Wiley, New York: 71– 108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie, D. J. J. Kalff, 1984. The relative importance of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton in phosphorus uptake in freshwater. Limnol. Oceanogr. 29: 311–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Droop, M. R., 1970. Vitamin B12 and marine ecology. V. Continuous culture as an approach to nutritional kinetics. Helgol. Wiss. Meeresunters. 20: 629–636.

    Google Scholar 

  • Froelich, F. N., 1988. Kinetic control of dissolved phosphate in natural rivers and estuaries: a primer on the phosphate buffer mechanism. Limnol. Oceanogr. 33: 649–668.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gächter R. A. Mares, 1985. Does settling seston release soluble reactive phosphorus in the hypolimnion of lakes Limnol. Oceanogr. 30: 364–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gächter R. J. Bloesch, 1985. Seasonal and vertical variation in the C:P ratio of suspended and settling seston of lakes. Hydrobiologia 128: 193–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Ruiz, R., J. Lucena F. X. Niell, 1998. Seasonal and vertical variations in the C:P ratio in an eutrophic P limited reservoir (La Concepción, South Spain). Int. Rev. Hydrobiol. 83: 303–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Ruiz, R., J. Lucena F. X. Niell, 1999. Do bacteria regenerate phosphorus while decomposing seston Mar. Freshwat. Res. 50: 459–466.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartley, A. M., W. A. House, M. E. Callow B. S. C. Leadbeater, 1997. Coprecipitation of phosphate with calcite in the presence of photosynthesizing green-algae. Wat. Res. 31: 2261–2268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Healey, F. P. L. L. Hendzel, 1980. Physiological indicators of nutrient deficiency in lake phytoplankton. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 37: 442–453.

    Google Scholar 

  • Istvánovics, V.,1994. Fractional composition, adsorption and release of sediment phosphorus in the Kis-Balaton Reservoir. Wat. Res. 28: 717–726.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, W. F., R. H. Kennedy R. H. Montgomery, 1987. Seasonal and longitudinal variations in apparent deposition rates within an Arkansas reservoir. Limnol. Oceanogr. 32: 1169–1176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jewell, W. J. P. L. McCarty, 1971. Aerobic decomposition of algae. Environ. Sci. Technol. 5: 1023–1031.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kopáek, Jč., K.-U. Ulrich, J. Hejzlar, J. Borovec E. Stuchlík, 2001. Natural inactivation of phosphorus by aluminum in atmospherically acidified water bodies. Wat. Res. 35: 3783–3790.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kopáček, J. J. Hejzlar, 1993. Direct determination of particulate phosphorus in water with perchloric acid digestion of whole membrane filters. Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 54: 27–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzen, C. J., 1967. Determination of chlorophyll and phycopigments: spectrophotometric equations. Limnol. Oceanogr. 12: 343–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morel, F. M. M., 1987. Kinetics of nutrient uptake and growth in phytoplankton. J. Phycol. 23: 136–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, J. J. P. Riley, 1962. A modified single-solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Anal. Chim. Acta 27: 31–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nedoma, J., P. Porcalová, J. Komárková V. Vyhnálek, 1993. A seasonal study of phosphorus deficiency in a eutrophic reservoir. Freshwat. Biol. 30: 369–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Omlin, M., P. Reichert R. Forster, 2001. Biogeochemical model of Lake Zurich: model equations and results. Ecol. Mod. 141: 77–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rigler, F. H., 1964. The phosphorus fractions and the turnover time of inorganic phosphorus in different types of lakes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 9: 511–518.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tezuka, Y., 1990. Bacterial regeneration of ammonium and phosphate as affected by carbon: nitrogen:phosphorus ratio of organic substances. Microbial Ecol. 19: 227–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vyhnálek, V., J. Seïa & J. Nedoma, J. 1993. Fate of the spring phytoplankton bloom in ímov Reservoir (Czechoslovakia): grazing, lysis and sedimentation. Int. Ver. theor. angewan. Limnol. 25: 1192–1195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetzel, R. G., 2001. Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems, 3rd Edition. Academic Press, San Diego.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brzáková, M., Hejzlar, J. & Nedoma, J. Phosphorus uptake by suspended and settling seston in a stratified reservoir. Hydrobiologia 504, 39–49 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000008506.29287.11

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000008506.29287.11

Navigation