During a period of two years, organic and inorganic suspended particulate matter and phytoplankton biomass was frequently measured in Lake Erken, a moderately deep, eutrophic lake in south-eastern Sweden. Regression analyses of these data were used to differentiate and quantify newly produced planktonic particulate matter (zooplankton + phytoplankton + bacteria) and different types of resuspended particulate matter (organic, inorganic). Resuspended particulate matter was frequently dominant in the water column (yearly mean 59% of suspended particulate matter), and resuspended particulate organic matter ranged from 11 to 99% of suspended particulate organic matter (yearly mean: 40%). The high amount of resuspended particulate matter originates from erosion/transportation bottoms which are located at water depths above 16 m and which cover 93% of the lake area. Resuspended particulate matter was significantly related to diatom biomass but not to any other type of planktonic biomass. Consequently, the seasonal variations in the amount and distribution of diatoms can be explained by the hydrodynamic processes which affect the amount and distribution of resuspended particulate matter while seasonal variations in the amount and distribution of other planktonic biomass need further explanations, like active swimming, floating and grazing resistance
