Comparison between sedimentary and living diatoms in Lago Maggiore (N. Italy): implications of using transfer functions

We compared the recent history of living planktonic diatom assemblages in Lago Maggiore with the remains found in the topmost section of 14 sediment cores taken from the lake. Sediment samples showed a marked domination of planktonic taxa, but a significant proportion of benthic taxa was found in cores collected close to river mouths. Between-core variability in diatom assemblage and in diatom-inferred total phosphorus concentration was also estimated. The implications of our results for calibration data sets relating environmental variables to diatom assemblages are also discussed

? la recherche des conditions de r?f?rence des lacs italiens

Compairison between two methods for inferring past trohic status of lake

Inferring the occurrence of regime shifts in a shallow lake during the last 250 years based on multiple indicators

Regime shifts are ecosystem-scale phenomena. In lake studies, most supporting evidence is frequently based on a single state variable. We examined the sediment record of the shallow lake Blanca Chica (Argentina) to explore the response of multiple proxies belonging to different trophic levels (nutrients, chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments, diatoms, Cladocera remains, and Rotifera resting eggs) over the last 250 yr. We explored different ecological indicators to assess changes consistent with regime shifts. To do so, first we identified the timing of transitional periods on multiple-proxies. Then, we explored (1) the nature of the change (linear versus non-linear dynamics), (2) different indicators of a shift across the food web: multimodality and resilience indicators (standard deviation and autocorrelation), and (3) examined the synchronicity of the detected indicators at multiple-trophic levels. Generalized additive models fitted to the ordination scores of the assemblages analyzed revealed two transitions: ca. 1860–1900, and 1915–1990. Ecological indicators of regime shifts revealed that the first transition is consistent with a threshold state response (change in the ecosystem state manifest as a jump when the driver exceeds a state threshold), and the second one with a critical transition (hysteretic transition in which the system change to an alternate stable state). After the first transition lake structure shifted from littoral to pelagic species dominance (evidenced by Cladocera and diatom assemblages), and turbidity increased, indicating a rise in lake water level. This transition was non-linear, showed multimodality, and is most likely driven by an increase in precipitation registered in the region since 1870. During the second transition, nutrient levels rose, all indicators showed multimodality, non-linear dynamics and an increase in standard deviation prior to the regime shift. These dynamics are consistent with a critical transition in response to eutrophication, and coincides with a post-1920 change in land use. Our results show that several ecological indicators of regime shifts need to be examined to perform an accurate diagnosis. We highlight the relevance of a multi-proxy approach including multiple-trophic level responses as the appropriate scale of analysis to determine the occurrence, type and dynamics of regime shifts. We also show that resilience indicators and critical transitions can be detectable in the whole food web and that shallow lakes can undergo different types of regime shifts.Fil: Gonzalez Sagrario, Maria de Los Angeles. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Musazzi, Simona. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; ItaliaFil: Cordoba, Francisco Elizalde. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Mendiolar, Manuela. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Pesquero; ArgentinaFil: Lami, Andrea. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Itali

A 13000 year environmental history of Lake Colbricon Inferiore (Trentino, Italia)

Lake sediments have long been used as an archive for paleoclimatic-paleoenvironmental reconstructions, with more and more refined techniques developed in the late 40 years. This work is an attempt to reconstruct with a multiproxy paleolimnological technique the ecosystem response in Colbricon Inferiore, a small high-mountain lakes located in the Paneveggio-Pale di S. Martino Natural Park(Trento, Italy). A ca. 360cm long core was retrieved with a piston core; a gravity corer was used for the most recent sediment. Chronology was established by a combination of 210Pb and 14C isotopes. Diatom assemblages show changes in species composition that could be associated to an initial warm phase (Allerod), a following colder one (YD) and a progressive amelioration of climate until the optimum (8500-3500). During the transition period (10000-8000) carotenoids point out to an increase of cyanobacteria (Echinenone and myxoxanthophyll) associated with an increase of fire frequency and the first settlement around Lake Colbricon. Along the climatic optimum, algal pigment are rather stable and Chryptophytes (alloxanthin) are well represented pointing to a high and stable water level. Diatom assemblages are dominated by the planktonic Discostella stelligeroides. At ca. 3500 yrs. B.P., a new phase begins with a decrease of D. stelligeroides and an increase of the small benthic fragilariaceae (Staurosira and Pseudostaurosira species) typical of cold-water conditions. At this level, there is a general increase of carotenoids and a shift in the ratio CD:TC. This suggest, rather than an increase in productivity, a change in the preservation conditions associated with the worsening of climate. After 2000 cal yr BP the lake seems quite stable: diatom assemblages are dominated by Staurosira and Pasudostaurosira species. Algal pigment are also quite stable apart myxoxanthophyll that increase in the more recent phase

Changes in planktivory and herbivory regimes in a shallow South American lake (Lake Blanca Chica, Argentina) over the last 250 years

Shallow lakes are vulnerable ecosystems impacted by human activities and climate change. The Cladocera occupy a central role in food webs and are an excellent paleoecological indicator of food web structure and trophic status. We conducted a paleolimnological study in Lake Blanca Chica (Argentina) to detect changes on the planktivory and herbivory regimes over the last 250 years. Generalized additive models were fitted to the time series of fish predation indicators (ephippial abundance and size, mucrone size, fish scales, and the planktivory index) and pheophorbide a concentration. The cladoceran assemblage changed from littoral-benthic to pelagic species dominance and zooplankton switched from large-bodied (Daphnia) to small-bodied grazers (Bosmina) ca. 1900 due to increased predation. The shift in planktivory regime (ca. 1920-1930), indicated by fish scales and the planktivory index, as well as herbivory (ca. 1920-1950), was triggered by eutrophication. Changes in planktivory affected the size structure of Bosmina, reducing its body size. This study describes the baseline for the lake as well as the profound changes in the composition and size structure of the zooplankton community due to increased predation and the shift in the planktivory regime. These findings will provide a reference status for future management strategies of this ecosystem.Fil: Carrozzo, David Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; ArgentinaFil: Musazzi, Simona. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia. Water Research Institute; ItaliaFil: Lami, Andrea. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia. Water Research Institute; ItaliaFil: Cordoba, Francisco Elizalde. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez Sagrario, Maria de Los Angeles. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentin

Environmental factors as drivers for macroinvertebrate and diatom diversity in Alpine lakes: New insights from the Stelvio National Park (Italy)

Information on the biodiversity of high altitude lakes in the Stelvio National Park was scarce and fragmentary, in most cases limited to a few studies on a single biological issue. To fill this gap, a multidisciplinary research program was established in 2011 to investigate macroinvertebrates, diatoms, and water chemistry in 8 high altitude lakes within the boundaries of the Park (Rhaetian Alps, Eastern Alps). The results of this study were compared with data on biological assemblages and chemical parameters of Alpine lakes in the Pennine-Lepontine Alps (Western Alps), to evaluate the role of local drivers with respect to regional ones. This comparison was possible thanks to the adoption of standardized sampling methodologies developed since the ’90s by the National Research Council-Water Research Institute (Verbania), in collaboration with several European Research centers. Despite located in a restricted geographical area, the lakes of the Stelvio National Park showed a high variability of chemical composition, and of sensitivity to acidification, lower than that of the Pennine-Lepontine Alpine lakes. Macroinvertebrate and diatom taxa were ubiquitous and frequent along the Alps, and mainly represented by cold-stenothermal species. Richness, Shannon, Simpson, and Pielou indices applied to phyto- and zoobenthos highlighted significantly lower values in Stelvio National Park lakes than in those of Pennine-Lepontine for macroinvertebrates, while no significant differences were found for diatoms. Two groups of lakes were identified by Cluster Analysis, mainly on the basis of major ion concentrations. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that the macroinvertebrate assemblage of the lakes studied is driven mainly by altitude and lake surface, and, to a lesser extent, by nutrient content. On the contrary, pH and acid-related variables played a secondary role for diatoms, while nutrients and, more in general, ionic content had significant effects on their species composition. Overall, the results of this first investigation showed that the high elevation of these lakes affects their macroinvertebrate assemblages, while their diatom communities are comparable throughout the Alps

Cambios en el patrón de herbivoría y en la talla corporal de cladóceros en la Laguna Blanca Chica (Olavarría) en los últimos 200 años

La estructura y dinámica de las comunidades y poblaciones de los lagos se ven afectadas por procesos como la depredación y la herbivoría. En la Laguna Blanca Chica (Olavarría) se llevó a cabo un estudio paleolimnológico cuyo objetivo fue establecer la ocurrencia de cambios en la talla media de restos subfósiles de cladóceros y en la concentración del feofórbido a en los últimos 200 años. La concentración del feofórbido a aumentó entre A. D. 1903-1953; en consecuencia, se infiere un cambio en el patrón de herbivoría. La disminución del tamaño del mucrón en Bosmina huaronensis (Cladocera) (A. D. 1910-1940) indica un cambio en la presión de depredación en el sistema o de tipo de depredador. Los cambios en la talla de los efipios no reflejarían cambios en la presión de depredación, por lo tanto no constituirían un buen indicador en la reconstrucción de la planctivoría en este ambiente.Fil: Carrozzo, David Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Musazzi, Simona. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Lami, Andrea. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; FranciaFil: Gonzalez Sagrario, Maria de Los Angeles. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaX Congreso de Ecología y Manejo de Ecosistemas Acuáticos PampeanosTandilArgentinaInstituto de Hidrología de Llanuras "Dr. Eduardo Jorge UsunoffInstituto Multidisciplinario Sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentabl

Environmental factors as key drivers for mountain lakes biodiversity

A research study has been performed by CNR-Institute of Ecosystem Study (ISE) in the Stelvio National Park (SNP, Central Alps, Italy) in 2011-12 to assess the ecological status of some lacustrine environments through their chemical and biological characteristics. Macroinvertebrates and diatoms were employed in the study, as they are considered key groups for monitoring programs since the \u2770s. The study was performed in the framework of SHARE Stelvio, an interdisciplinary program for detecting early evidences of climate change in the Park. Even these remote areas are no longer pristine, and the environmental changes that occur at high altitudes have very likely direct and indirect impacts on biota and on the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems. In particular, the work aims to present the first biological and chemical results of our study, exploring also lakes other than those previously considered, located on slopes with different exposure and altitude, expanding knowledge in areas of the park, so far studied only from the glaciological and geomorphological point of view

The trophic reliance of methane in the benthic food web: natural versus anthropogenic drivers

It is now widely recognized that biogenic methane can contribute up to 80% of the chironomid biomass in case of hypoxic tropholytic zone. However, several studies have revealed that hypoxic deep conditions can appear more or less abruptly through time, suggesting that the biogenic methane contribution is not the \u27reference\u27 functioning in most lakes. This study aims at identifying the causes of the trophic reliance of methane (\u27TRM\u27) activation, and to understand the environmental conditions that enable the activation of the TRM. Three different lakes (productivity, altitude, water depth, etc.) were investigated using paleolimnological approach. The methodological strategy is built in three steps: (i) the reconstruction of the temporal evolution of methanotroph availability (ancient DNA of methanotroph) and the chironomid paleo-diet (carbon stable isotopes), (ii) the comparison of these dynamics with the histories of climate variability and anthropogenic pressures (pollen analysis) (iii) and the assessment of the environmental conditions (trophic state, oxygen conditions and organic matter accumulation) that allowed this activation. Results reveal very contrasting evolutions suggesting (i) that this pathway is highly driven by human and climate pressures and (ii) that lakes seem to have a various \u27sensibility\u27 facing the activation and the modulation of the TRM

Living organisms and sedimentary remains from high mountain lakes in the Alps

We publish a data set of environmental and biological data collected in 2000 during the ice-free period in high mountain lakes located above the local timberline in the Alps, in Italy, Switzerland and Austria. Environmental data include coordinates, geographical attributes and detailed information on vegetation, bedrock and land use in lake catchments. Chemical analyses of a sample for each lake collected at the lake surface in Summer 2000 are also reported. Biological data include phytoplankton (floating algae and cyanobacteria), zooplankton (floating animals), macroinvertebrates (aquatic organisms visible to the naked eye living in contact with sediments on lake bottom), benthic diatoms. Diatoms, cladocera and chironomids remains and algal and bacterial pigments were also analysed in lake sediments