recovery of clear-water, macrophyte-dominated lakes: concepts and case studies

Hugo Coops RIZA Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Water Treatment, The Netherlands
11 J anuary 2004

The Netherlands

2 11 January 20

Delta of large rivers Rhine and Meuse Hundreds of shallow lakes Many lakes are man-made Most lakes are strongly regulated

Man-made lakes

3 11 January 20

Conservation: lake Naardermeer

4 11 January 20

Algal blooms

5 11 January 20

P-reduction in the River Rhine

6 11 January 20

The foodweb of shallow lakes

7 11 January 20

Turbidity

8 11 January 20

Suspended sediment Water depth Vegetation Waves

Mussels Nutrients

Algae

Allelopathic compounds Zooplankton

Fishes

Turbidity

9 11 January 20

Suspended sediment Water depth Vegetation Waves

Mussels Nutrients

Algae

Allelopathic compounds Zooplankton

Fishes

Limitation of phytoplankton growth

10 11 January 20

Turbidity

11 11 January 20

Suspended sediment Water depth Vegetation Waves

Mussels Nutrients

Algae

Allelopathic compounds Zooplankton

Fishes

Zooplankton

12 11 January 20

Turbidity

13 11 January 20

Suspended sediment Water depth Vegetation Waves

Mussels Nutrients

Algae

Allelopathic compounds Zooplankton

Fishes

Planktivores: Perch

14 11 January 20

Benthivores: Bream

15 11 January 20

Impact of Bream on transparency

16 11 January 20

Bream stocking experiment

17 11 January 20

Turbidity

18 11 January 20

Suspended sediment Water depth Vegetation Waves

Mussels Nutrients

Algae

Allelopathic compounds Zooplankton

Fishes

Freshwater mussels

19 11 January 20

Turbidity

20 11 January 20

Suspended sediment Water depth Vegetation Waves

Mussels Nutrients

Algae

Allelopathic compounds Zooplankton

Fishes

Aquatic vegetation
Mechanisms -

21 11 January 20

Prevention of resuspension Competition for nutrients Refugium for zooplankton Allelopathic substances Effects on fish community

Shifts between clear and turbid

22 11 January 20

Alternative stable states

23 11 January 20

Biomanipulation
planktivores Daphnia escapes predation Spring clear water phase Macrophyte proliferation
Nutrient fixation Piscivore habitat Suppression of algae Zooplankton refuge

24 11 January 20

Fish removal

benthivores Reduced resuspension Clear water

Reduced resuspension

Stable clear water

Biomanipulation cases: lake Zwemlust (1987)

25 11 January 20

The three steps of biomanipulation

26 11 January 20

Success of biomanipulation cases

27 11 January 20

Success =improved Secchi depth 18 cases in the Netherlands: - 16 (partially) successful - 2 failures - 10 cases still clear after 5-10 year period Lack of success: 1. insufficient fish removal 2. peaty sediment 3. high wind resuspension 4. poor development of piscivores 5. high nutrient concentrations 6. presence of invertebrate predators

Controlling fish stock is crucial

28 11 January 20

Biomanipulation cases: Lake Wolderwijd (1990)

29 11 January 20

Wolderwijd: Fish stock

30 11 January 20

Wolderwijd: water transparency

31 11 January 20

Wolderwijd: charophyte vegetation

32 11 January 20

Role of the littoral zone

Turbidity
Suspended sediment

33 11 January 20

Mussels
Water depth

Algae

Nutrients Vegetation
Allelopathic compounds

Waves Fishes

Zooplankton

Zooplankton migration

34 11 January 20

Horizontal migration of zooplankton in Veluwemeer At nighttime into the open lake (A) At daytime inside vegetation (E)

Pike depends on inundated emergent vegetation

kg northern pike / ha 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 0 20 40 60

35 11 January 20

80 100 % vegetated area

Water-level fluctuations

36 11 January 20

Flooding-drawdown cycle

37 11 January 20

Water-level experiment, lake Volkerakmeer (19962001)

38 11 January 20

Management of trophic state

Nutrient management

39 11 January 20

Fisheries management

P-inflow
Water-level anagement
(emergent) vegetation

P-lake algae

(submerged) vegetation filter-feeders (zooplankton)

filter-feeders (mussels) resuspended sediments

turbidity

resuspended sediments