Lowering of water level and algal biomass in Lake Kinneret

✍ Scribed by Colette Serruya; Utsa Pollingher

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1977
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 518 KB
• Volume: 54
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5141
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00018773

✦ Synopsis

An unusual situation accompanied the rapid lowering of the lake level which took place during the period 1972-1975 as a result of low amounts of precipitation . The dominant alga of the lake (Peridinium cinctum f . westii), usually blooming from January to May, developed two months later than in previous years . The small and short peak of diatoms and green algae, which used to appear in January, extended until March, delaying the appearance of the winter bloom . The replacement of the non-grazed Peridinium having a high C : P ratio by the actively grazed diatoms and green algae having a low C : P ratio led to a substantial decrease of algal standing crop in the water . The chain of limnological events leading to the biological modification is investigated and its bearing on water quality is discussed .