Can fish introductions alter nutrient cycles in previously fishless high-latitude lakes?
<p>The additional input and enhanced cycling of nutrients derived from introduced fish can be a significant factor altering nutrient dynamics in oligotrophic lakes. To test this, we used a bioenergetic model to estimate the fish-derived nutrient load in Lake Kuutsjärvi, a historically fishless...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PAGEPress Publications
2016-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Limnology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jlimnol.it/index.php/jlimnol/article/view/1364 |
| _version_ | 1818846090440474624 |
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| author | Marco Milardi Jyrki Lappalainen Suzanne McGowan Jan Weckstrom |
| author_facet | Marco Milardi Jyrki Lappalainen Suzanne McGowan Jan Weckstrom |
| author_sort | Marco Milardi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The additional input and enhanced cycling of nutrients derived from introduced fish can be a significant factor altering nutrient dynamics in oligotrophic lakes. To test this, we used a bioenergetic model to estimate the fish-derived nutrient load in Lake Kuutsjärvi, a historically fishless boreal lake of northern Fennoscandia. The lake was selected because of the absence of other anthropogenic stressors, a known stocking history and the possibility of quantitatively estimating the size-structure and biomass of the fish population through a mass removal. Subsequently, we used a mass balance model to compare fish-derived nutrients with other nutrient load pathways. For comparison over longer timescales, we used lake sediment records of diatoms, chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments, C:N ratios and stable isotopes to infer whether fish introduction produced detectable changes in the lake trophic state, primary productivity and terrestrial nutrient input. Based on the nutrient mass balance model, we found that phosphorus and nitrogen derived from fish were 0.46% and 2.2%, respectively, of the total load to the lake, suggesting that fish introduction could not markedly increase the nutrient load. Accordingly, the palaeolimnological record indicated little increase in primary production but instead a shift from pelagic to benthic production after fish introduction.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:40:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fc0b1cef1d8e40f08641064dcf0a5304 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1129-5767 1723-8633 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:40:01Z |
| publishDate | 2016-04-01 |
| publisher | PAGEPress Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Limnology |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc0b1cef1d8e40f08641064dcf0a53042022-12-21T20:34:02ZengPAGEPress PublicationsJournal of Limnology1129-57671723-86332016-04-0176110.4081/jlimnol.2016.1364833Can fish introductions alter nutrient cycles in previously fishless high-latitude lakes?Marco Milardi0Jyrki Lappalainen1Suzanne McGowan2Jan Weckstrom3University of HelsinkiUniversity of HelsinkiUniversity of NottinghamUniversity of Helsinki<p>The additional input and enhanced cycling of nutrients derived from introduced fish can be a significant factor altering nutrient dynamics in oligotrophic lakes. To test this, we used a bioenergetic model to estimate the fish-derived nutrient load in Lake Kuutsjärvi, a historically fishless boreal lake of northern Fennoscandia. The lake was selected because of the absence of other anthropogenic stressors, a known stocking history and the possibility of quantitatively estimating the size-structure and biomass of the fish population through a mass removal. Subsequently, we used a mass balance model to compare fish-derived nutrients with other nutrient load pathways. For comparison over longer timescales, we used lake sediment records of diatoms, chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments, C:N ratios and stable isotopes to infer whether fish introduction produced detectable changes in the lake trophic state, primary productivity and terrestrial nutrient input. Based on the nutrient mass balance model, we found that phosphorus and nitrogen derived from fish were 0.46% and 2.2%, respectively, of the total load to the lake, suggesting that fish introduction could not markedly increase the nutrient load. Accordingly, the palaeolimnological record indicated little increase in primary production but instead a shift from pelagic to benthic production after fish introduction.</p>http://www.jlimnol.it/index.php/jlimnol/article/view/1364nutrient cyclebioenergetic modelfish introductionchlorophyll and carotenoid pigmentsdiatomsstable isotopes |
| spellingShingle | Marco Milardi Jyrki Lappalainen Suzanne McGowan Jan Weckstrom Can fish introductions alter nutrient cycles in previously fishless high-latitude lakes? Journal of Limnology nutrient cycle bioenergetic model fish introduction chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments diatoms stable isotopes |
| title | Can fish introductions alter nutrient cycles in previously fishless high-latitude lakes? |
| title_full | Can fish introductions alter nutrient cycles in previously fishless high-latitude lakes? |
| title_fullStr | Can fish introductions alter nutrient cycles in previously fishless high-latitude lakes? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can fish introductions alter nutrient cycles in previously fishless high-latitude lakes? |
| title_short | Can fish introductions alter nutrient cycles in previously fishless high-latitude lakes? |
| title_sort | can fish introductions alter nutrient cycles in previously fishless high latitude lakes |
| topic | nutrient cycle bioenergetic model fish introduction chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments diatoms stable isotopes |
| url | http://www.jlimnol.it/index.php/jlimnol/article/view/1364 |
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