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Variation in physical, chemical and biological components in the subantarctic lakes of South Georgia

Hansson, L. A. LU orcid ; Dartnall, H. J.G. ; Ellis-Evans, J. C. ; MacAlister, H. and Tranvik, L. J. (1996) In Ecography 19(4). p.393-403
Abstract

Physical, chemical and biological variables were quantified in 19 subantarctic lakes (South Georgia) as a prelude to comparing these pristine systems with temperate lakes and to improve the knowledge of spatial and temporal variation in water chemistry and abundances of organisms. Lakes close to the sea had higher phosphorus concentrations, contained higher abundances of most organisms, and had higher number of invertebrate species than lakes situated further from the sea. Differences were attributed to higher nutrient input from marine organisms, such as penguins, seals and petrels, and probably also to a somewhat longer ice-free period. Since the lakes of South Georgia lack fish, the pelagic invertebrate fauna is dominated by... (More)

Physical, chemical and biological variables were quantified in 19 subantarctic lakes (South Georgia) as a prelude to comparing these pristine systems with temperate lakes and to improve the knowledge of spatial and temporal variation in water chemistry and abundances of organisms. Lakes close to the sea had higher phosphorus concentrations, contained higher abundances of most organisms, and had higher number of invertebrate species than lakes situated further from the sea. Differences were attributed to higher nutrient input from marine organisms, such as penguins, seals and petrels, and probably also to a somewhat longer ice-free period. Since the lakes of South Georgia lack fish, the pelagic invertebrate fauna is dominated by herbivorous macrozooplankton. Rotifers are rare in the open water and are restricted to the vegetation (mainly mosses) in shallow areas and to the sediment surface. Generally, the algal abundance at the sediment surface is high in subantarctic lakes, indicating that the main part of the primary production is provided by benthic algae, which is in contrast to what is normally the case in temperate waters.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Ecography
volume
19
issue
4
pages
393 - 403
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0030301007
ISSN
0906-7590
DOI
10.1111/j.1600-0587.1996.tb00004.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
13bce650-32a4-4076-848f-5e9ef75d21f6
date added to LUP
2019-05-27 11:44:14
date last changed
2024-01-01 07:47:51
@article{13bce650-32a4-4076-848f-5e9ef75d21f6,
  abstract     = {{<p>Physical, chemical and biological variables were quantified in 19 subantarctic lakes (South Georgia) as a prelude to comparing these pristine systems with temperate lakes and to improve the knowledge of spatial and temporal variation in water chemistry and abundances of organisms. Lakes close to the sea had higher phosphorus concentrations, contained higher abundances of most organisms, and had higher number of invertebrate species than lakes situated further from the sea. Differences were attributed to higher nutrient input from marine organisms, such as penguins, seals and petrels, and probably also to a somewhat longer ice-free period. Since the lakes of South Georgia lack fish, the pelagic invertebrate fauna is dominated by herbivorous macrozooplankton. Rotifers are rare in the open water and are restricted to the vegetation (mainly mosses) in shallow areas and to the sediment surface. Generally, the algal abundance at the sediment surface is high in subantarctic lakes, indicating that the main part of the primary production is provided by benthic algae, which is in contrast to what is normally the case in temperate waters.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hansson, L. A. and Dartnall, H. J.G. and Ellis-Evans, J. C. and MacAlister, H. and Tranvik, L. J.}},
  issn         = {{0906-7590}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{393--403}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Ecography}},
  title        = {{Variation in physical, chemical and biological components in the subantarctic lakes of South Georgia}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.1996.tb00004.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1600-0587.1996.tb00004.x}},
  volume       = {{19}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}