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Diatom community response to extreme water-level fluctuations in two Alpine lakes: a core case study

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Abstract

Water-level fluctuations (WLF) often represent one of the greatest impacts on the development of lake ecosystems. In the year 1931, the Trentino Hydroelectric Company (SIT) requested the hydroelectric use of water bodies in the Upper and Middle Sarca basin. The largest and deepest lakes were dammed to increase lake volume and exploited since mid 1950s. This research uses the sediment record of two small lakes in close proximity to each other (Garzonè and Serodoli) in northern Italy, used for hydroelectric power generation to determine the dependence of diatom-assemblage dynamics on WLF that have taken place over the last 60 years. Historical WLF are clearly reflected in the lithological composition and grain-size variations of the sediment cores. During the regression and transgression phases, the boundaries between the erosion, transport and accumulation zones fluctuated, causing redistribution of previously accumulated sediments, and their return into the lake’s cycling of biogeochemical matter. The water-level changes not only caused distinct taxonomic shifts in the diatom communities, which were dominated by different species in the core sections of each lake, but also significant shifts in the composition of the diatoms’ ecological, morphofunctional and life-form groups. Diatoms with a low- and high-profile attachment type were the dominant morphological forms in the upper core levels, where the most extreme fluctuations in water level had occurred. Increased turbulent mixing caused by WLF favours the presence of large, heavily silicified centric diatoms, while more stable levels would select for smaller centric diatoms through thermal stratification.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate the constructive and helpful comments from two anonymous reviewers that improved the manuscript. We would like to express our thanks to Michele Zandonati, Massimiliano Tardio and Nicola Angeli for their help during fieldwork. Thanks are extended to Ermanno Bertuzzi, Daniel Spitale and Alessia Scalfi, all at The Museum of Natural Science, Trento. This study was financed by the Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy, within the multidisciplinary project “Lake Ritorto” (Water abstractions from a high mountain lake for artificial snow production) and a grant of the Human Resources program of the Galician Research, Development and Technological Innovation Plan (Xunta de Galicia) provided to Manel Leira.

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  1. M. L. Filippi

    Present address: , 630 Trafalgar Court, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Geologia Universidade de Lisboa (CeGUL), Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal

    M. Leira

  2. Geology Research Unit, Museo delle Scienze - MUSE, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38123, Trento, Italy

    M. L. Filippi

  3. Limnology and Phycology Research Unit, Museo delle Scienze - MUSE, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38123, Trento, Italy

    M. Cantonati

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Leira, M., Filippi, M.L. & Cantonati, M. Diatom community response to extreme water-level fluctuations in two Alpine lakes: a core case study. J Paleolimnol 53, 289–307 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-015-9825-7

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