Dataset of the phytoplankton (including the biomass of potentially invasive cyanobacterium Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides), physical and chemical parameters, and basic morphological and hydrological data of 49 lakes located at latitudes 51-55◦N
Description
This dataset shows data collected for the purpose of the study of Budzyńska et al. 2019 “Environmental factors driving the occurrence of the invasive cyanobacterium Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides (Nostocales) in temperate lakes”, Science of the Total Environment 650: 1338-1347. The aim of this study was to identify physical, chemical and biological factors related to the occurrence of the potentially invasive cyanobacterium Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria; synonyms: Aphanizomenon aphanizomenoides, Anabaena aphanizomenoides). We hypothesized that S. aphanizomenoides would live in the warmest and most nutrient-rich lakes, thus co-occurring with dense cyanobacterial blooms. Forty-nine freshwater lakes located between latitudes 51º and 55ºN (mid-eastern and north-eastern parts of Poland, temperate zone) were examined for the presence of S. aphanizomenoides. The location was chosen due to its proximity to the putative current northern limits of the range of the species. Environmental factors that could drive the occurrence of S. aphanizomenoides were studied simultaneously. The study was conducted in summer 2015, in the warmest period of the year. The samples were taken in the pelagic zone of each lake using a hosepipe sampler (Mantzouki et al., accepted in Scientific Data). Each lake was sampled once. An integrated sample form throughout the epilimnion and metalimnion was collected to avoid overlooking the presence of S. aphanizomenoides. As potential drivers of the occurrence of the species, the following parameters were analysed: water temperature, conductivity, total phosphorus concentration (TP), total nitrogen concentration (TN), the ratio of euphotic zone depth to the depth of water mixing, total phytoplankton biomass as a measure of lake productivity, and also lake area and the maximum lake depth. To identify environmental factors related to the occurrence of S. aphanizomenoides, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed with the use of Canoco for Windows 5.0 software. The same environmental factors were compared between two groups of lakes (lakes with a record of S. aphanizomenoides versus lakes without a record) using the Mann-Whitney U test in Statistica 12.5 software. We found that water temperature did not differentiate lakes with or without S. aphanizomenoides, but total phosphorus concentration was the primary driving factor of the occurrence of S. aphanizomenoides. The cyanobacterium lived mainly in lakes with high phytoplankton biomass and low underwater light penetration. In this dataset we included the following data: ▪ characteristic of the studied lakes (location, basic data on hydrology and morphometry); ▪ sampling data; ▪ phytoplankton data (biomass of S. aphanizomenoides, its share in total phytoplankton biomass, the total biomass of phytoplankton and the biomass of Cyanoprokaryota); ▪ data on potential environmental drivers of the occurrence of S. aphanizomenoides.
Files
Steps to reproduce
Lake data (lake type, area, mean and maximum depth) were obtained from the literature listed in the database. Location of each lake was checked in situ with a GPS device. Water temperature, pH and conductivity of water were measured in situ from the surface to the bottom at 0.5 m intervals, using a YSI-multimeter. Then the mean value was calculated for each lake, from each measurement made in the epilimnion and metalimnion. Water transparency was measured with Secchi disc. Samples for nutrient and phytoplankton analyses were taken from throughout the epilimnion and metalimnion, or in the case of polymictic lakes, from the water column till 0.5 m above the bottom. The depth of the euphotic zone (Zeu) was calculated by multiplying the Secchi depth by 2.7, according to Cole (1994). Mixing depth (Zmix) was derived from temperature measurements. Total phosphorus concentration was determined using the spectrophotometric method according to PN-EN ISO 6878, 2004 (spectrophotometer SPECORD 40). Total nitrogen concentration was determined by photometric detection of generated nitrate after UV and thermo digestion via reduction to nitrite and azo dye formation. This flow analysis was performed according to DIN EN ISO29441, using an FIA Compact MLE. Phytoplankton was analysed using an inverted microscope, according to Uthermöhl’s method (Wetzel and Likens, 1991). Each phytoplankton sample was precisely screened for the presence of S. aphanizomenoides, to the final detection limit of 0.037 trichomes per mL. The species was identified on the basis of morphological features according to Komárek (2013). Phytoplankton biomass was estimated from the biovolume, calculated for each species based on the volume formulae of geometric solids most closely resembling a given species, according to Hillebrand et al. (1999) and Napiórkowska-Krzebietke and Kobos (2016). References Cole, G.A., 1994. Textbook of Limnology. Waveland Press, Long Grove. DIN EN ISO 29441, 2010. Water quality - Determination of total nitrogen after UV digestion - Method using flow analysis (CFA and FIA) and spectrometric detection. Hillebrand, H., Dürselen, C.-D., Kirschtel, D., Pollingher, U., Zohary, T., 1999. Biovolume calculation for pelagic and benthic microalgae. J. Phycol. 35[2], 403–424. Komárek J. 2013. Cyanoprokaryota. 3rd part: Heterocytous genera.Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa, 19/3. Springer Spektrum, Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8274-2737-3. Mantzouki E. et al. 2018. A European Multi Lake Survey dataset of environmental variables, phytoplankton pigments and cyanotoxins. Scientific Data (in press). Napiórkowska-Krzebietke A., Kobos J. 2016. Assessment of the cell biovolume of phytoplankton widespread in coastal and inland water bodies. Water Res. 104, 532–546. PN-EN ISO 6878, 2004. Water quality - Determination of phosphorus - Ammonium molybdate spectrometric method, ISO 6878. Wetzel, R.G., Likens, G.E., 1991. Limnological analyses.