AN ANALYSIS OF FACTORS GOVERNING PRODUCTIVITY IN LAKES AND RESERVOIRS

• Main Authors: M. Byylinsky, K. H. Mann
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1973
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.544.2958; http://www.aslo.org/lo/toc/vol_18/issue_1/0001.pdf

Data collected as part of the International Biological Program from 43 lakes and 12 reservoirs, distributed from the tropics to the arctic, were subjected to statistical analysis to establish which factors are important in controlling production and how they are related. In the whole body of data, variables related to solar energy input have a greater influence on production than variables related to nutrient concentration; in lakes within a narrow range of latitude, nutrient-related variables assume greater importance. Morpho-logical factors have little influence on productivity per unit area in either case. Chlorophyll a concentration is a good indicator of nutrient conditions and when combined with an energy-related variable constitutes a good estimator of primary production. Rational management of inland waters requires an ability to assess the productivity of lakes, preferably on the basis of some simplified procedure, and preferably within a framework of knowledge which permits some estimates of future trends under changing conditions. To achieve this ability, it is desirable to have basic knowledge of the factors important in controlling pro-duction and an understanding of how they relate to one another. The current trend towards ecosystem modeling and simulation is an attempt to fill this need. However, with few exceptions, present attempts at ecosystem simulation suffer from a shortage of the kind of information needed to enable them to be truly predictive, and thus have little capability for immediate application. 1 Contribution to the International Biological Program, CCIBP 201. Financially supported by the Canadian Committee for the International