Spring phytoplankton and periphyton composition: case study from a thermally abnormal lakes in Western Poland

Abstract

Getting to know the response of different groups of aquatic organisms tested in altered thermal environments to environmental conditions makes it possible to understand processes of adaptation and limitation factors such as temperature and light. Field sites were located in three thermally abnormal lakes (cooling system of power plants), in eastern part of Wielkopolska region (western Poland): Pątnowskie, Wąsosko-Mikorzyńskie and Licheńskie. Water temperatures of these lakes do not fall below 10°C throughout the year, and the surface water temperature in spring is about 20˚C. In this study, we investigated the species structure of the spring phytoplankton community in a temperature gradient and analyzed diversity of periphyton collected from alien species (Vallisneria spiralis) and stones. 94 taxa belonging to 56 genera of algae (including phytoplankton and periphyton) were determined. The highest number of algae species were observed among Chlorophyta (49), Bacillariophyceae (34) and Cyanobacteria (6). In spite of important differences in temperature in the investigated lakes, taxonomic composition of phytoplankton was comparable. Thermophilic species: Glochidinium penardiforme and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii were found in the species structure (blooms were not observed). The obtained data also showed that the biotic surface of Vallisneria spiralis was a better substrate for Bacillariophyceae colonization than stones. The examination in the spring season of these thermally altered lakes, indicated the taxonomic composition of phytoplankton typical for eutrophic reservoirs (not heated). There was no replacement of any phytoplankton groups which are characteristic for spring conditions, even if there were changes in the competition dynamics.

Different thermal conditions of lakes affect host–parasite systems: A case study of Viviparus contectus (Millet, 1813) and digenean trematodes

“…Viviparus contectus individuals were gathered once a month from May to September 2015, using a metal sieve mounted on a telescopic stick. The lake Licheńskie (52°19′24″N, 18°20′55″E; thermally polluted lake-TPL) is the warmest reservoir included in the cooling system of the Pątnów-Konin power plant, with water temperature reaching 32°C during summer months (Burchardt et al, 2014). The seasonal water temperature of the lake Szymbarskie (53°36′53″N, 19°30′41″E; natural lake-NL) is typical for the temperate zone (Choiński, 2006).…”

Changes in the phytoplankton diversity of two oxbow lakes in a big city: a case study of Wrocław (Poland)

“…The dominance of Bacillariophyceae and Chlorophyta in flora is typical of eutrophic species (Burchardt et al 2003(Burchardt et al , 2014, which allows us to classify these lakes as high-trophy water bodies. Their eutrophic character is also confirmed by the presence of a large number of typically eutrophic species of Coelastrum, Scenedesmus, Oocystis and Pediastrum genera (Berlinger & Sigee 2010;Jachniak & Kozak 2011;Jachniak et al 2015).…”

On the occurrence of three non-native cichlid species including the first record of a feral population ofPelmatolapia(Tilapia)mariae(Boulenger, 1899) in Europe

“…These thermally influenced freshwater (TIF) systems are hotspots for non-native organisms, as they provide suitable habitats for species of tropical and subtropical origin (e.g. [2][3][4][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]17,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]). While biological invasions are known to be a major driver of species extinctions and biodiversity loss [26][27][28][29][30], the importance and influence of TIFs remain mostly understudied.…”