Abstract
Reservoir 29 and Lake B are extremely acid lakes (epilimnion pHs of 2.7 and 3.2, respectively), because they receive acidic discharges from coal refuse piles. They differ in that the pH of profundal sediments in Reservoir 29 increased from 2.7 to 3.8 during the period of thermal stratification, whereas permanently anoxic sediments in Lake B had a pH of 6.2. The pH rise in Reservoir 29 sediments was correlated with a temporal increase in H2S concentration in the anaerobic hypolimnion from 0 to >1 mM. The chlorophyll a levels in the epilimnion of Reservoir 29 were low, and the rate of primary production was typical of an oligotrophic system. However, there was a dense 10-cm layer of algal biomass at the bottom of the metalimnion. Production by this layer was low owing to light limitation and possibly H2S toxicity. The specific photosynthetic rates of epilimnetic algae were low, which suggests that nutrient availability is more important than pH in limiting production. The highest photosynthetic rates were obtained in water samples incubated at pH 2.7 to 4. Heterotrophic bacterial activity (measured by [14C]glucose metabolism) was greatest at the sediment/water interface. Bacterial production (assayed by thymidine incorporation) was as high in Reservoir 29 as in a nonacid mesotrophic Indiana lake.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Hoeniger J. F. Decomposition Studies in Two Central Ontario Lakes Having Surficial pHs of 4.6 and 6.6. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 Sep;52(3):489–497. doi: 10.1128/aem.52.3.489-497.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lovell C. R., Konopka A. Primary and bacterial production in two dimictic indiana lakes. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Mar;49(3):485–491. doi: 10.1128/aem.49.3.485-491.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Novitsky J. A. Microbial activity at the sediment-water interface in halifax harbor, Canada. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Jun;45(6):1761–1766. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.6.1761-1766.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schindler D. W., Mills K. H., Malley D. F., Findlay D. L., Shearer J. A., Davies I. J., Turner M. A., Linsey G. A., Cruikshank D. R. Long-term ecosystem stress: the effects of years of experimental acidification on a small lake. Science. 1985 Jun 21;228(4706):1395–1401. doi: 10.1126/science.228.4706.1395. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- TEMPLE K. L., DELCHAMPS E. W. Autotrophic bacteria and the formation of acid in bituminous coal mines. Appl Microbiol. 1953 Sep;1(5):255–258. doi: 10.1128/am.1.5.255-258.1953. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tuttle J. H., Dugan P. R., Macmillan C. B., Randles C. I. Microbial dissimilatory sulfur cycle in acid mine water. J Bacteriol. 1969 Feb;97(2):594–602. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.2.594-602.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]