Eutrophication as a result of high nutrient loading has been a worldwide problem in freshwaters for the past decades, and it will continue to be a major issue for the foreseeable future. Eutrophication has led to degraded water quality, often blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria, biodiversity loss, and changes in the ecosystem structure and functioning of lakes.
In shallow lakes, primary producers include benthic plants and phytoplankton distributed in benthic and pelagic habitats, respectively. The benthic plants include submerged vascular plants and benthic algae. Phytoplankton mainly consists of planktonic algae. The benthic plants usually dominate in oligotrophic shallow lakes with low nutrient concentrations and high light intensity in the water column (pelagic habitats), as benthic plants can access the nutrient resources in the sediments. Due to the increase in external nutrient loading, nutrient availability increases in pelagic habitats and the limitation of phytoplankton by nutrients is reduced. Having better availability of light, phytoplankton becomes the dominant primary producer in eutrophic shallow lakes, i.e. an ecosystem shift occurs from a clear, benthic plant dominated state, to a turbid, phytoplankton dominated one. Changes in the benthic-pelagic coupling are of key importance for this regime shift. In a clear water state, the benthic-pelagic coupling tends to reinforce the clear water state by a number of mechanisms, and vice versa tends to reinforce the turbid phytoplankton-dominated state in eutrophic lakes. Thus, understanding the physical-chemical and biological interactions related to benthic-pelagic coupling is essential in order to efficiently restore eutrophic shallow lakes.
The aim of this Research Topic is to collect original research, review, and perspective articles that address how changes induced by eutrophication and associated changes in trophic structure and community composition (primary producers, invertebrates, and fish), affect processes of benthic-pelagic coupling. We are also interested in papers on the recovery of clear water states induced by manipulation of benthic-pelagic coupling processes, such as control of sediment phosphorus release, manipulation of fish communities, and restoration of benthic plants, especially submerged plants.
The main areas of focus include, but are not limited to:
• Sediment nutrient release and its control.
• Sediment resuspension and its ecological effects.
• The effect of fish on internal nutrient loading and biomanipulation.
• The effect of benthic plants and their restoration.
• The effects of hydrodynamic changes induced by loss of macrophytes and increase in fish on water-sediment interactions.
• Other issues on water-sediment interactions related to eutrophication and recovery.
• Implications of the above processes, as well as case studies in lake management.
Eutrophication as a result of high nutrient loading has been a worldwide problem in freshwaters for the past decades, and it will continue to be a major issue for the foreseeable future. Eutrophication has led to degraded water quality, often blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria, biodiversity loss, and changes in the ecosystem structure and functioning of lakes.
In shallow lakes, primary producers include benthic plants and phytoplankton distributed in benthic and pelagic habitats, respectively. The benthic plants include submerged vascular plants and benthic algae. Phytoplankton mainly consists of planktonic algae. The benthic plants usually dominate in oligotrophic shallow lakes with low nutrient concentrations and high light intensity in the water column (pelagic habitats), as benthic plants can access the nutrient resources in the sediments. Due to the increase in external nutrient loading, nutrient availability increases in pelagic habitats and the limitation of phytoplankton by nutrients is reduced. Having better availability of light, phytoplankton becomes the dominant primary producer in eutrophic shallow lakes, i.e. an ecosystem shift occurs from a clear, benthic plant dominated state, to a turbid, phytoplankton dominated one. Changes in the benthic-pelagic coupling are of key importance for this regime shift. In a clear water state, the benthic-pelagic coupling tends to reinforce the clear water state by a number of mechanisms, and vice versa tends to reinforce the turbid phytoplankton-dominated state in eutrophic lakes. Thus, understanding the physical-chemical and biological interactions related to benthic-pelagic coupling is essential in order to efficiently restore eutrophic shallow lakes.
The aim of this Research Topic is to collect original research, review, and perspective articles that address how changes induced by eutrophication and associated changes in trophic structure and community composition (primary producers, invertebrates, and fish), affect processes of benthic-pelagic coupling. We are also interested in papers on the recovery of clear water states induced by manipulation of benthic-pelagic coupling processes, such as control of sediment phosphorus release, manipulation of fish communities, and restoration of benthic plants, especially submerged plants.
The main areas of focus include, but are not limited to:
• Sediment nutrient release and its control.
• Sediment resuspension and its ecological effects.
• The effect of fish on internal nutrient loading and biomanipulation.
• The effect of benthic plants and their restoration.
• The effects of hydrodynamic changes induced by loss of macrophytes and increase in fish on water-sediment interactions.
• Other issues on water-sediment interactions related to eutrophication and recovery.
• Implications of the above processes, as well as case studies in lake management.