European class 2000

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Ecological study of lake Pamvotis
European class 2000
http//www.crv.uwa.edu.au/presentations/Pamvotis
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Lake Pamvotis
Surface 24,1 km2 Depth max. 9,2m
mean 4,3m Length 7km Max width 3 km
http//www.duth.gr/Epirus/Ioannina/ioan3.html
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Geology
The lake Pamvotis is a karstic lake characterized
by

• calcarious mountains
• in the north
• the contact with carbon
• and silicon formations and
• recent deposits of the
• alluvial valley

http//www.cwr.uwa.edu.au/Presentations/Pamvotis/
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Surrounding of the lake

• The city of Ionnina with 100.000 inhabitants is
  set at the border
• of the lake Pamvotis.
• Further several agricultural activities take
  place close to the lake
• Livestock breeding
• Farming
• cultivation
• The lake itself is used for fishery, tourism,
  irrigation, sport ect.
• Domestic, argicultural and industrial effluents
  enter the lake
• through several canals

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Physicochemical parameters

• Temperature 25,1 C
• pH 7,49
• TDS 140 mg/l
• Conductivity 281 µSiemens
• Disolved Oxygen 9,8 mg/l
• Transparency 72 cm (Secchi)

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General view of the lake

• On the north part a corridor of vegetation
  surround the lake.
• On the over surrounding no barrier can filter
  agricultural effluents and domestic sewages from
  the surrounding area.
• There is a productive community of aquatic
  vegetation especially in the north part.

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The plants collected in the lake

• Aquatic vegetation Typha sp (Typhaceae), Lemna
  sp. (Lemnaceae), Nymphea alba (Portulacaceae),
  Iris sp. (Iridaceae),
• Land vegetation Salix sp. (Salicaceae),
  Rapistrum sp. (Brassicaceae), Mentha aquatica
  (Lamiaceae), Ulmus minor (Ulmaceae), Holcus
  lanatus (Graminae), Urtica sp. (Urticaceae), Iris
  sp. (Iridaceae), Capsella bursa-pastoris
  (Brassicaceae), Geranium columbinum
  (Geraniaceae), Galium aparyne (Rubiaceae), Rubus
  canescens (Rosaceae), Epilobium sp. (Onagraceae),
  Senecio sp. (Compositae) and two species of
  Bryophyta
• Our sample does not include all the species that
  exist around and in the lake (64 species and
  subspecies have been described by
  Sarika-Hatzinikolaou M. in 1994).
• In red are the plant witch characterize the
  communities.

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Arrangement of the communities
Reed-bed
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Description of the communities

• Aquatic community
• Reed-bed
• Characteristic water-fringe vegetation, common in
  eutrophic lakes,shalow water.
• Formation of tall helophytes, usually species
  poor and often dominates by one species Typha
  sp.(Typhaceae often grow in large patches in
  shallow water and cause to silt up)
• Reed-beds, usually characterized by Phragmition
  australis and Scirpion maritimi
• Over aquatic community with one characteristic
  species Lemna sp

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the aquatic vegetation
Photo Geraldine Kapfer
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Phragmites australis
http.//www.euronet.nl/users/mbleeler/folis/bsmain-
e.html
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Land community

• On the edge of the lake
• characterized by Salix alba
• Artificial stony substrate built by human that
  leads to a unnatural type of vegetation
• Low vegetationlt30 cm
• High diversity14 family

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Salix alba
http.//www.euronet.nl/users/mbleeler/folis/bsmain-
e.html
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Observations on Phytoplankton of
Pamvotis Lake



Phytoplankton
consists of microscopic plant


organisms adapted to suspension in the water
and exposed to passive movement by wind and
currents

These organism are unicellular but many of
them form colonies and threads ranging in size
from lt1µm up to gt500µm.
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EUTROPHICATION
?Although eutrophication starts with a high input
of plant nutrients into a water ecosystem
leading to high primary production, it is not,
nevertheless, a simple process but is complex. A
large number of factors interact, altering the
structure of biotic communities. ?The first
change to be seen is the mass developments of
blue - green algae in freshwaters. Blue - green
algae blooms are the most evident symptom of
eutrophication.
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Location of the sampling

• in the littoral zone-shallow area in Pamvotis
  Lake
• with micro- macrophytic vegetation (rich in
  reeds)

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Methods of sampling

• Samples were collected
• in one station just
• in one day

net
Equipment used for sampling

• The material collected
• with the net was the
• fresh material

(www.aquaticresearch. com/products.htm)
Water sampler

• The lake water collected
• with the Water sampler
• was fixed with Lugols
• solution

(www.idromar.it/watersampler.htm)
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Laboratory work
Fresh material
The fresh material composition was examined
under microscope to identify the different algae
and which one was in abundance.
Lugols material
The Lugols material was used for identification
and counting of phytoplankton according to
Utermoehls sedimentation method. It was put in
a sedimentation chamber of 2ml for three hours,
and then examined under the inverted microscope.

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Algae in net-samples (fresh
material)
Class Bacillariophyceae (diatoms)
Genera Navicula (benthic in the water column),
Asterionella
Navicula
Asterionella
(http/courses.smsn.edu/ rgr592f/algae/asteri_a.ht
m)
(www.vvm.com/ jevans/navicu01.html)
Other diatoms observed Fragilaria, Synedra,
Aulacoseira granulata, Cyclotella
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The dominant alga
ClassChlorophyceae Order Chlorococcales Genera
Pediastrum
ClassCyanophyceae Order Chroococcales GeneraMic
rocystis
(photo M. Moustaka-Gouni)
(www.rrz.uni-hamburg. de/biologie/b_online/d44/ pe
diastr.htm)
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Algae in the lake water preserved with Lugol
ClassCyanophyceae Order Chroococcales GeneraMic
rocystis, Aphanocapsa, Aphanothece (dominant)
ClassCyanophyceae Order Nostocales Genera
Anabeana
(www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/ inouye/ino/cy/56.gif
Class Bacillariophyceae GeneraAulacoseira,
Cyclotella, Pleurosigma
Pleurosigma
(www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/
inouye/ino/st/ baci_pen_pic.html)
Class Chlorophyceae OrderDesmidiales GeneraStau
rastrum
ClassChlorophyceae Order Chlorococcales Genera
Scenedesmus (dominant)
(www.dipbot.unict.it/sistematica/Scenede.html)
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Quantitative analysis

• This analysis was made to determine phytoplankton
  biomass by calculation of the biovolume of each
  species at the final step.
• At least 100 specimens (cells or colonies) of the
  most important phytoplancton species should be
  counted and as a total at least 400 individuals
  in the sedimentation chamber.

• Firstly we counted the total number of
  individuals in different
• optical fields (grids) until 400 individuals to
  be reached.
• In order to have the population density of the
  most abundant
• algae it is important to know the factor for
  one grid in the magnification used for counting.
  This factor is divided by the total number of the
  grids. Then the result is multiplied with the
  total number of individuals.

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RESULTS

• In the net sample the most abundant alga was
• Microcystis,which was not only in colonies but
  also
• in separate cells.
• In Lugol the most abundant algae were Aphanothece
• and Scenedesmus.
• Population density
• a) Aphanothece sp.1,359,223 cells/ml (most
  abundant)
• b) Scenedesmus sp. 180,844 cells/ml (greater
  biomass)
• There were also benthic and epiphytic organisms
  due
• to the fact that the station where the sampling
  took
• place was shallow and near the shore.

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• The different results between the two methods are
  due to the fact that the fresh material was
  collected by a net with pore diameter of 50 µm
  which means that most of the phytoplanktonic
  organisms with one cell (or colony) dimension
  smaller than 50 µm were not collected.
• The high abundance of the cyanophyte Aphanothece
  and the chlorophyte Scenedesmus are indicative of
  a highly eutrophic lake but it is not possible to
  confirm that because the sampling has been done
  only in one day and in one station (one point in
  time and space).

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LIST OF THE SPECIES OF ZOOPLANKTON IN THE LAKE
IOANNINA

• ROTIFERA
• Asplanchna priodonta
• Trichocerca pusilla
• Trichocerca capucina
• Trichocerca cylindrica
• Synchaeta
• Polyarthra
• Anuraeopsis fissa
• Ascomorpha spp
• Trichotria pocillum
• Lepadella sp.
• Lecane spp.
• Brachionus quadridentatus
• Brachionus forficula
• Keratella cochlearis

• CLADOCERA
• Bosmina longirostris
• Chydoridae
• Chydorus
• Exoskeleton of Alona spp.
• Alona rectangula
• Daphnia cucullata
• COPEPODA
• Stage of Nauplius
• Stage Copepodite
• Group Cyclopoida
• Exoskeleton of Harpacticoida

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• The three main groups of zooplankton, Rotifera,
  Cladocera and Copepoda have been found.
• The sample is characterized by a satisfactory
  diversity 23 taxa, taking into account the
  unique sampling in only one station.
• More than half are rotifers.
• About 1/3 of the taxa mentioned are abundant.
• It should be noticed that the way of conserving
  often alterate the morphology of the sample and
  the species differentiate themselves often very
  slightly. So, it is difficult to identify the
  exact species and sometimes it is impossible to
  go further than the genus.

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TROPHIC STATE OF THE LAKE

• INDICATORS OF EUTROPHIC CONDITIONS
• Trichocerca pusilla
• Trichocerca cylindrica
• Trichocerca capucina
• Polyarthra
• Anuraeopsis fissa
• Brachionus quadridentatus
• Keratella cochlearis
• Bosmina longirostris
• Alona rectangula
• Daphnia cucullata

• According to several reserchers,
• almost half of the taxa are
• indicators of eutrophication.
• The Pamvotis lake seems to be
• eutrophicated, at least the area
• where the sampling took place.

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ZOOPLANKTON OCCURRENCE IN RELATION TO WATER
TEMPERATURE

• The range of temperature for most of the taxa is
  between 10 and 25oC.
• Some of them are eurythermal and accept a wide
  range of temperature.
• Some are warm stenothermal species, such as
  Trichocerca pusilla, Anuraeopsis fissa.
• It is peculiar that two tropical and subtropical
  species were also found, as Trichocerca
  cylindrica and Brachionus forficula. The latter
  is mentioned probably for the first time in
  Ioannina lake.
• B. quadridentatus, a species preferring warm
  waters was found also for the first time in this
  lake.
• Concluding, the lake is a rather warm one. A
  reason for this could be the fact that it is a
  shallow lake.
• Because of the recent appearance of some warm
  stenothermal species, it is probable that the
  temperature of the lake is rising.

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Distribution Pelagic or benthic?

• Characteristic benthic genera Brachionus,
  Trichotria, Lapadella, Lecane.
• Characteristic pelagic species Asplanchna
  priodonta, Bosmina longirostris, Daphnia
  cucullata.
• Sampling took place near the shore where pelagic
  and benthic species coexist.

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ZOOBENTHOS
Sampling

• The sampling took place 0.5m away from the
  lakes bank in a depth of 0.5m and at a distance
  of 5 meters.
• The substrate was consisted of cobbles,
  macrophytes and reeds.
• The animals were found attached under the cobbles
  and were collected by hand.
• We tried to take sample from the benthos further
  away from the lakes bank, in a plava, but it was
  virtually impossible, because the lakes bottom
  may have been covered by beton.

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The following table presents the families of
animals found
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Percentage of benthic invertebrates
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According to the previous tables the Diptera
larvae of the family Chironomidae are the most
abundant. This is something characteristic for
the lake Pamvotis in Ioannina. (Kasioumi
1994) There were also found some individuals of
the red Chironomids, which are known as organisms
very tolerant to pollution. Referring to the
Greek evaluation system for the rivers the most
abundant families in our sample (Chironomidae,
Gastropoda, Ephemeroptera, Hirudinea), which
cover the 91 of the total individuals number,
are ranked below 5. This probably indicates a
rather disturbed environment.
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CONCLUSION

• Combining all our previous measurements and
  results we come to the conclusion that lake
  Pamvotis seems to be a productive EUTROPHIC lake
  in spring time, mostly because of
• species of Phyto- and Zooplankton and Plants,
  which are eutrophic indicators
• inflow of fertilizers from the nearby
  agricultural area
• the lakes high temperature and low
  transparency
• the high productivity and the increased levels
  of dissolved O2
• the calcareous watershed that results to high
  nutrient inflow and high pH levels

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SOME MORE INFORMATION
Urban sewage waste from Ioannina used to be led
directly into the lake, a policy which caused a
severe disturbance to the environment. Five
years ago a sewage treatment system was
established and now the lake is in a stage of
recovering. However our most abundant species of
Zoobenthos communities show tolerance to a
disturbed environment.
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NOTICE!

• Our results may not reflect the true situation,
  because we
• sampled only once with no replicates
• used one sampling site
• sampled near a drainage and urban sewage channel
• sampled only during spring time

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Introduction, Geology Sylvia Kruse Vegetation
Joan Oudry and Stiliani Tzimiri Phytoplankton
Pasqua Rosa Ponziani and Evangelia
Mourgi Zooplankton Thibault Vannier and George
Anasontzis Zoobenthos Fotis Sgouridis and Danai
Paleologou Conclusion The team
http//www.crv.uwa.edu.au/presentations/Pamvotis
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REFERENCES

• AMOROS, C., Crustaces cladoceres,1984.Lyon.
• BERZINS, B., PEJLER, B., Rotifer occurrence in
  relation
• to temperature. 1987. Institute of limnology of
  Uppsala, Sweden.
• FULLER, D., STEMBERGER, R., GANNON, J., Limnetic
• Rotifers as indicators of trophic changes. 1977.
• GANNON, J., STEMBERGER, R., Zooplankton as
  indicators
• of water quality. 1978.
• Kasioumi, M., Summary of information for the
  lake Pamvotis(?),
• 1994.
• N.N. Corine biotops manual.
• MAEMETS, A., Rotifers as indicators of lake
  types in Estonia.
• 1983. The Hague.
• MAY, L., Rotifers occurrence in relation to
  water temperature
• In Loch Leven, Scotland.
• MICHALOUDI, E., Zooplankton, key to plankton.
  2000.
• Thessaloniki

39

• MOUSTAKA-GOUNI, M Species Composition and
  seasonal
• cycles of phytoplankton with special reference to
  the nanplankton
• of Lake Prespa.
• PEJLER, B., Zooplanktic indicators of trophy
  chain food.1983.
• The Hague.
• Zarfjan, M., Personal Communication.
• RADWAN, S., Planktonic rotifers as indicators of
  lake trophy,
• 1976. Annalea universitatis Maria
  Curie-SKLODOWSKA
• REYNOLDS, C.S. The ecology of Freshwater
  phytoplankton
• RUTTNER-KOLISKO, A., Plankton rotifers, biology
  and taxonomy,
• 1974.
• SARIKA-CHATZINIKOLAOU, M., Floristic
  investigations of the lake Pamvotis, 1994.
• WILLEN, EVA A simlified method of phytoplankton
  counting
• Zalidis Matzavellas, Record of the greek
  wetland as natural sources, EKBY, 1994
• Lake Pamvotis Evaluation of Lake Pamvotis,
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