Comparison of fossil pigments with 20 years of phytoplankton data from eutrophic Lake 227, Experimental Lakes Area. Leavitt, P., R. & Findlay, D., L. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 51:2286-2299, 1994.
Comparison of fossil pigments with 20 years of phytoplankton data from eutrophic Lake 227, Experimental Lakes Area [pdf]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
Fossil pigments from annually laminated sediments were calibrated with coeval phytoplankton data (1 970-1 989) from experimentally eutrophied Lake 227 in the Experimental Lakes Area, Ontario. Concentrations of ubiquitous pigments (b-carotene, pheophytisa ai were correlated to total algal biomass standing crop (r = 0.56-0.65; P 6 0.01) during the ice-free seasons, but not to carbon fixation or water- column chlorophyll (Chi). indicator pigments were correlated to ice-free season algal biomass for cyanobacteria (echinenone, aphaninophyli) and chlorophytes (lutein-zeaxanthin, pheophytin b)(a = 0.53-0.55, P < 0.05), weakly correlated for cryptophytes (alloxanthin, a-carotene; r = 0.32-0.40, P < 0.10), but were uncorrelated for chrysophytes and diatoms (fucoxanthin, Chl c) or dinoflagellates (peredinin). Premanipulation concentrations of fossil pigments (nmol pigment (g organic matter)-') from green algae and filamentous cyanobacteria (myxoxanthsphyll) increased 4- to 10-fold in response to eutrophication of Lake 227. N,-fixing cyanobacteria (recorded as aphanizophyll) replaced chlorophytes after the nitrogen additions decreased threefold in 1975. In contrast, accumulation rates of pigments (nmol pigment rn-d . yr ') were rarely correlated with algal standing crop or production and were less satisfactory than fossil concentrations for the purpose of detecting changes in phytoplankton community composition.

Downloads: 0