Microbiological survey of Adirondack lakes with various pH values

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6109296

Boylen, C W; Shick, M O; Roberts, D A

Many of the lakes in the Adirondack region of New York State are particularly sensitive to high H/sup +/ inputs from acidic deposition. Nine high-altitude oligotrophic Adirondack lakes having water of pH 4.3 to 7.0 were surveyed for total bacterial numbers and possible adaptation of the microbial communities to environmental pH. The number of heterotrophic bacteria from water samples recoverable on standard plate count agar were low (10 to 1000 per ml) for most of the lakes. Sediment aerobic heterotrophs recovered on standard plate count agar ranged from 14,000 to 1,300,000 per g of sediment. Low density values were consistent with the oligotrophic nature of all the lakes surveyed. There were no apparent differences in numbers of bacteria originally isolated at pH 5.0 and pH 7.0 between circumneutral lakes (pH 6.0) and acidic lakes (pH 5.0). A chi-square contingency test clearly showed (P 0.005) that two distinct heterotrophic populations had been originally isolated at pH 5.0 and pH 7.0, although there is undoubtedly some overlap between the two populations. 35 references, 5 figures, 3 tables.

• Research Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
• OSTI ID: 6109296
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 45:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
POPULATION DYNAMICS
PH VALUE
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ACID RAIN
ACIDIFICATION
ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS
HYDROGEN IONS 1 PLUS
LAKES
POPULATIONS
SEDIMENTS
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
HYDROGEN IONS
IONS
MICROORGANISMS
MOUNTAINS
RAIN
SURFACE WATERS
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
560302 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)
550700 - Microbiology