Diatom-inferred increase in limnetic phosphorus concentration and the associated changes in sedimentary phosphorus fractions in Valkjärvi, a lake in Kärkölä, Finland

A diatom-based total phosphorus (TP) model developed for southern Finland is used to infer past epilimnetic TP concentrations in Valkjärvi, a lake located in Kärkölä, Finland; and the results are compared with sedimentary phosphorus fractions. The diatom-based models accurately predicted epilimnetic...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kauppila, T., Moisio, T., Salonen, V.-P.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Boreal Environment Research Publishing Board 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10138/578131
Description
Summary:A diatom-based total phosphorus (TP) model developed for southern Finland is used to infer past epilimnetic TP concentrations in Valkjärvi, a lake located in Kärkölä, Finland; and the results are compared with sedimentary phosphorus fractions. The diatom-based models accurately predicted epilimnetic TP concentrations as indicated by monitoring data available since 1979. Altogether, concentrations have increased from 15 ug P l–1 in the 1940s to the present level of ~65 ug P l–1. After an initial slow increase, the lake became eutrophicated rapidly in the 1960s as a result of municipal wastewater from the Kärkölä commune. These nutrient inputs resulted in increased sedimentary phosphorus concentrations. The NaOH-extracted phosphorus fraction in particular increased in the profundal sediments. The changes in sedimentary phosphorus nevertheless occurred later than the increase in diatom-inferred limnetic TP concentration.