Phosphorus lakes

For reviews in biotic feedbacks in lake phosphorus cycles and the Redfield concept see Carpenter et al. (1992). 

Vadstein, O. (1994) The role of heterotrophic, planktonic bacteria in the cycling of phosphorus in lakes phosphorus requirements, competitive ability and food web interactions. PhD thesis, University of Trondheim (cited by Gismervik etal., 1996). 

Phosphorus Pentachloride, Twin Lake Chemical Inc., Lockport, N.Y., 1995. 

In this way, the near-linear chlorophyll-phosphorus relationship in lakes depends upon the outcome of a large number of interactive processes occurring in each one of the component systems in the model. One of the most intriguing aspects of those components is that the chlorophyll models do not need to take account of the species composition of the phytoplankton in which chlorophyll is a constituent. The development of blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria is associated with eutrophication and phosphorus concentration, yet it is not apparent that the yield of cyanobacterial biomass requires any more mass-specific contribution from phosphorus. The explanation for this paradox is not well understood, but it is extremely important to understand that it is a matter of dynamics. The bloom-forming cyanobacteria are among the slowest-growing and most light-sensitive members of the phytoplankton. ... 

This is the principal linkage between cyanobacterial blooms and eutrophication. Avoidance of cyanobacterial production does not necessarily depend upon eliminating all phosphorus inputs, but upon ensuring that optimum physical and chemical conditions for these organisms do not coincide. It is easy to understand why the biggest blooms in the UK have been in fertile lakes and reservoirs after prolonged spells of warm, dry weather in summer. 

The destiny of most biological material produced in lakes is the permanent sediment. The question is how often its components can be re-used in new biomass formation before it becomes eventually buried in the deep sediments. Interestingly, much of the flux of phosphorus is held in iron(lll) hydroxide matrices and its re-use depends upon reduction of the metal to the iron(ll) form. The released phosphate is indeed biologically available to the organisms which make contact with it, so the significance attributed to solution events is understandable. It is not clear, however, just how well this phosphorus is used, for it generally remains isolated from the production sites in surface waters. Moreover, subsequent oxidation of the iron causes re-precipitation of the iron(lll) hydroxide floes, simultaneously scavenging much of the free phosphate. Curiously, deep lakes show almost no tendency to recycle phosphorus, whereas shallow... 

In addition to the use of techniques to reduce nutrient run-off at source, entry of nutrients to lakes can be reduced by using pre-lake techniques. These include the use of artificial wetlands on inflow streams, the use of iron salt treatment in pre-lake lagoons or by installing treatment plants to remove phosphorus. 

Most lakes affected by eutrophication will also have significant amounts of phosphorus in their sediments, which can be recycled into the water column (Section 4). The control of this source can be achieved by treating the sediments with iron salts or calcite to bind the phosphorus more tightly into the sediments. These methods have been used to some effect, but consideration has to be given to the quality of the materials used and whether or not the lake can become de-oxygenated in the summer. In the latter case this can be overcome by artificial de-stratification. 

In smaller shallow lakes, where the internal re-cycling of phosphorus can be... 

The most commonly used physical method for long-term eutrophication control in lakes is that of artificial destratification. This method is well tried and understood and uses either jetted water or compressed air bubbles to break down the lake stratification in the summer months. Algal growth is also affected by an increase in circulation. This is due to the artificial shading effect which results from the algae spending less time near the surface and consequently less time in the light. This technique also reduces the redox-dependent phosphorus release from sediments because the sediment surface remains aerobic. 

It is becoming increasingly clear that, in shallow lakes which have high rates of phosphorus sediment re-cycling, bio-manipulation is an essential element of successful restoration. 

Figure 2. Trends in Phosphorus Concentrations in Lake Ontario.

Fig. 14-5 Typical distribution of P and temperature in a temperate lake in summer. Thermal stratification restricts exchange between surface and deep wafers. Phosphorus is depleted in the surface waters by the sinking of biologically produced particles.

The land biota reservoir (3) represents the phosphorus contained within all living terrestrial organisms. The dominant contributors are forest ecosystems with aquatic systems contributing only a minor amount. Phosphorus contained in dead and decaying organic materials is not included in this reservoir. It is important to note that although society most directly influences and interacts with the P in lakes and rivers, these reservoirs contain little P relative to soil and land biota and are not included in this representation of the global cycle. 

Schindler, D. W. (1977). Evolution of phosphorus limitation in lakes. Science 195,260-262. 

Reckhow KH (1979) Empirical lake models for phosphorus development, applications, limitations and uncertainty. In Scavia D, Robertson A (eds) Perspectives on lake ecosystem modeling. Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, Michigan... 

Reddy KR, Flaig E, Scinto LJ, Diaz O, Debusk TA (1996) Phosphorus assimilation in a stream system of the Lake Okeechobee. J Am Water Resour Assoc 32 901-915... 

An unusual example of a process that produces a lot of waste is the intensive rearing of pigs. They need additional phosphorus in their feed for healthy growth, and this is usually added as inorganic phosphorus in the form of monocalcium phosphate (calcium dihydroxy-oxido-oxo-phosphorane). Unabsorbed phosphorus passes through into the manure, and if spread onto fields as a fertiliser can lead to excess phosphorus run-off into rivers and lakes leading to eutrophication. 

According to previous analyses of these paintings, the colour layers contain a high concentration of phosphorus (in the order of units of per cent) [40] this led restorers to the assumption that they contain casein which was ruled out by our detailed analysis. Thus, a high concentration of phosphorus coming from the proteinaceous binder is excluded because of the low concentration of phosphorus in the most phosphorylated binder (casein, max. 5% phosphoms) and the amount in the colour layer (up to 10%).The source of phosphorus was discovered by powder X-ray microdifffaction it comes from aluminium phosphate that was probably used as a substrate for the precipitation of red organic lake [40],... 

Deans [192] have proposed a method for the colorimetric determination of traces of phosphorus with molybdenum blue, making use of the laser-induced thermal lensing effect. The procedure is described, and the results obtained on samples of sea water and lake water are presented. 

Schachtman DP, Reid RJ, Ayling SM (1998) Phosphorus uptake by plants from soil to cell. Plant Physiol 116 447-453. doi http //www.plantphysiol.org Schindler DW (1974) Eutrophication and recovery in experimental lakes implications for lake management. Science 184 897-899. doi http //www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/184/4139/897 Schindler DW, Hecky RE, Findlay DL, Stainton MP, Parker BR, Paterson MJ, Beaty KG, Lyng M, Kasian SEM (2008) Eutrophication of lakes cannot be controlled by reducing nitrogen input results of a 37-year whole-ecosystem experiment. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105 11254-11258. doi http //www.pnas.org/content/105/32/l 1254.abstract Scott JT, Condron LM (2003) Dynamics and availability of phosphorus in the rhizosphere of a temperate silvopastoral system. Biol Fert Soils 39 65-73 Shane MW, Lambers H (2005) Cluster roots a curiosity in context. Plant Soil 274 101-125. doi http //dx.doi.org/10.1007/s 11104-004-2725-7... 

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