The influence of water quality variables on cyanobacterial blooms and phytoplankton community composition in a shallow temperate lake

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 187; no. 6; p. 315
• Main Authors: Lee, Tammy A., Rollwagen-Bollens, Gretchen, Bollens, Stephen M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algae; Aquatic ecosystems; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biomass; Community composition; Community structure; Creeks & streams; Cyanobacteria; Cyanobacteria - growth & development; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental factors; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Eutrophication; Freshwater; Freshwater lakes; Indicator species; Influence; Lakes; Lakes - chemistry; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Multidimensional scaling; Phytoplankton; Phytoplankton - classification; Phytoplankton - growth & development; Plankton; Seasons; Studies; Summer; Washington; Water quality; Water Quality - standards; Washington; United States > US; Vancouver Washington; INE, Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver; INE, USA, Washington; Algal blooms; Nutrients; NMDS; Orthophosphate; Water quality; Shallow lake
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4550-2

Cyanobacterial blooms and their detrimental effects on water quality have become a worldwide problem. Vancouver Lake, a tidally influenced shallow temperate freshwater lake in Washington state, U.S.A., exhibits annual summer cyanobacterial blooms that are of concern to local resource managers. Our objectives were to describe changes in phytoplankton community composition in Vancouver Lake over seasonal, annual, and interannual time scales, and to identify strong water quality predictors of phytoplankton community structure, with an emphasis on cyanobacterial blooms, from 2007 through 2010. Cluster analysis, indicator species analysis, and non-metric multidimensional scaling were used to identify significantly different phytoplankton community groupings and to determine which environmental factors influenced community changes. From 2007 through 2009, depletion of NO 3 –N followed by elevated PO 4 –P concentration was associated with increased biomass and duration of each cyanobacterial bloom. Time-lag analysis suggested that NO 3 –N availability contributed to interannual changes within the summer phytoplankton community. Specifically, in summer 2010, a distinct cyanobacteria community was not present, potentially due to increased NO 3 –N and decreased PO 4 –P and NH 4 –N availability. Our study provides a comprehensive assessment of species-level responses to water quality variables in a shallow non-stratifying temperate lake, contributes to a better understanding of phytoplankton dynamics, and may aid in predicting and managing cyanobacterial blooms.