Improved prediction of vegetation composition in NW European softwater lakes by combining location, water and sediment chemistry
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Improved prediction of vegetation composition in NW European softwater lakes by combining location, water and sediment chemistry. / Pulido Pérez, Cristina; Jensen, Kaj Sand; Lucassen, Esther C.H.E.T.; Roelofs, Jan G.M.; Brodersen, Klaus Peter; Pedersen, Ole.
In: Aquatic Sciences, Vol. 74, No. 2, 2012, p. 351-360.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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T1 - Improved prediction of vegetation composition in NW European softwater lakes by combining location, water and sediment chemistry
AU - Pulido Pérez, Cristina
AU - Jensen, Kaj Sand
AU - Lucassen, Esther C.H.E.T.
AU - Roelofs, Jan G.M.
AU - Brodersen, Klaus Peter
AU - Pedersen, Ole
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Isoetids, as indicators of near-pristine softwaterlakes, have a high priority in national and international(European Water Directive Framework) assessments ofecological lake quality. Our main goal was to identify themost important environmental factors that influence thecomposition of plant communities and specifically determinethe presence and abundance of the isoetid Lobeliadortmanna in NW European softwater lakes. Geographicalposition and composition of surface water, porewater,sediment and plant communities were examined in 39 lakesin four regions (The Netherlands, Denmark, West Norwayand East Norway) distributed over a 1,200-km long distance.We confirmed that lake location was accompaniedby significant changes in environmental variables betweenNW European lakes. Lake location was the single mostimportant determinant of vegetation composition and it hadsignificant individual contributions independent of thecoupling to environmental variables. This influence oflocation was supported by a significant decline of communitysimilarity with geographical distance between pairsof lakes at regional, inter-regional and international scales.Combining the geographical position with environmentalvariables for surface water, porewater and sediment significantlyimproved prediction of vegetation composition.Specifically, the combination of latitude, surface wateralkalinity, porewater phosphate and redox potential offeredthe highest correlation (BIO ENV correlation 0.66) tovegetation composition. This complex analysis can alsoaccount for high sediment variability in the littoral zone ofindividual lakes, by using site-specific physico-chemicalsediment factors, and offer better predictions of vegetationcomposition when lake water chemistry is relativelyhomogeneous among lakes within regions
AB - Isoetids, as indicators of near-pristine softwaterlakes, have a high priority in national and international(European Water Directive Framework) assessments ofecological lake quality. Our main goal was to identify themost important environmental factors that influence thecomposition of plant communities and specifically determinethe presence and abundance of the isoetid Lobeliadortmanna in NW European softwater lakes. Geographicalposition and composition of surface water, porewater,sediment and plant communities were examined in 39 lakesin four regions (The Netherlands, Denmark, West Norwayand East Norway) distributed over a 1,200-km long distance.We confirmed that lake location was accompaniedby significant changes in environmental variables betweenNW European lakes. Lake location was the single mostimportant determinant of vegetation composition and it hadsignificant individual contributions independent of thecoupling to environmental variables. This influence oflocation was supported by a significant decline of communitysimilarity with geographical distance between pairsof lakes at regional, inter-regional and international scales.Combining the geographical position with environmentalvariables for surface water, porewater and sediment significantlyimproved prediction of vegetation composition.Specifically, the combination of latitude, surface wateralkalinity, porewater phosphate and redox potential offeredthe highest correlation (BIO ENV correlation 0.66) tovegetation composition. This complex analysis can alsoaccount for high sediment variability in the littoral zone ofindividual lakes, by using site-specific physico-chemicalsediment factors, and offer better predictions of vegetationcomposition when lake water chemistry is relativelyhomogeneous among lakes within regions
U2 - 10.1007/s00027-011-0226-3
DO - 10.1007/s00027-011-0226-3
M3 - Journal article
VL - 74
SP - 351
EP - 360
JO - Aquatic Sciences
JF - Aquatic Sciences
SN - 1015-1621
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 34322601