Ecological effects of acid precipitation on primary producers
Non-acidic, oligotrophic lakes are typically dominated by golden-brown algae, diatoms and green algae. With increasing acidity, the number of species decrease and the species composition changes to dinoflagellates and golden-brown algae, with blue-green algae dominating in some cases. For macrophytic plants, dense stands of Sphagnum and Utricularia are found in some acidic lakes which may reduce nutrient availability and benthic regeneration. Hydrogen ion concentration does not appear to be as important as inorganic phosphorus in controlling primary production and biomass in acidic lakes. In acidic, oligotrophic lakes, benthic plants may have a competitive advantage over pelagic algae because of the high concentrations of inorganic carbon and phosphorus available to them in the sediment.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC0276CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 5730597
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-30395; CONF-810464-2; ON: DE82004795
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Conference on acid rain in the Great Lakes region, East Lansing, MI, USA, Apr 1981
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ACID RAIN
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
PRODUCTIVITY
SPECIES DIVERSITY
LAKES
ACIDIFICATION
ALGAE
BIOMASS
CARBON
DATA COMPILATION
NUTRIENTS
PH VALUE
PHOSPHORUS
PLANTS
SEDIMENTS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
DATA
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
INFORMATION
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
RAIN
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SURFACE WATERS
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)