| Title | The chemical and biological response of two remote mountain lakes in the Southern Central Alps (Italy) to twenty years of changing physical and chemical climate |
| Abstract | Two small high mountain lakes in the Alps were monitored in 1984-2003 to follow their response to changes in human impact, such as deposition of atmospheric pollutants, fish stocking and climate change. The results were compared to occasional samplings performed in the 1940s, and to the remains found in sediment cores. When monitoring started, the most acid-sensitive of them, Lake Paione Superiore, was acidified, with evident effects in its flora and fauna: benthic diatoms assemblage was shifted towards acidophilous species, and zooplankton lost the dominant species, Arctodiaptomus alpinus. Palaeolimnological studies outlined that lake acidification paralleled the increasing input of long-range transported industrial pollutants, traced by spherical carbonaceous particles. On the contrary, the biota of Lake Paione Inferiore appeared to be mainly affected by fish stocking. In the last twenty years, decrease in acid load from the atmosphere led to an improvement in lake water quality, with an increase in both pH and alkalinity. First signs of biological recovery were identified, such as change in diatom flora and appearance of sensitive species among benthic insects. However, climate change and episodic deposition of Saharan dust were important driving factors controlling lake water chemistry. Further monitoring to assess the effects of climate change and of the increasing load of nitrogen and other pollutants is recommended. |
| Source | Journal of limnology (Testo stamp.) 63 (1), pp. 77–89 |
| Keywords | AcidificationAtmospheric depositionBenthosDiatomsPlankton |
| Journal | Journal of limnology (Testo stamp.) |
| Editor | Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi., Verbania Pallanza, Italia |
| Year | 2004 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| Authors | Marchetto, Aldo; Mosello, Rosario; Rogora, Michela; Manca, Marina; Boggero, Angela; Morabito, Giuseppe; Musazzi, Simona; Tartari, Gabriele A.; Nocentini, Anna M.; Pugnetti, Alessandra; Bettinetti, Roberta; Panzani, Pierisa; Armiraglio, Michele; Cammarano, Pierluigi; Lami, Andrea |
| Text | 346901 2004 Scopus 2 s2.0 3543064383 Acidification Atmospheric deposition Benthos Diatoms Plankton The chemical and biological response of two remote mountain lakes in the Southern Central Alps Italy to twenty years of changing physical and chemical climate Marchetto, Aldo; Mosello, Rosario; Rogora, Michela; Manca, Marina; Boggero, Angela; Morabito, Giuseppe; Musazzi, Simona; Tartari, Gabriele A.; Nocentini, Anna M.; Pugnetti, Alessandra; Bettinetti, Roberta; Panzani, Pierisa; Armiraglio, Michele; Cammarano, Pierluigi; Lami, Andrea Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Istituto Di Scienze Marine, Venice; Universita degli Studi dell Insubria Two small high mountain lakes in the Alps were monitored in 1984 2003 to follow their response to changes in human impact, such as deposition of atmospheric pollutants, fish stocking and climate change. The results were compared to occasional samplings performed in the 1940s, and to the remains found in sediment cores. When monitoring started, the most acid sensitive of them, Lake Paione Superiore, was acidified, with evident effects in its flora and fauna benthic diatoms assemblage was shifted towards acidophilous species, and zooplankton lost the dominant species, Arctodiaptomus alpinus. Palaeolimnological studies outlined that lake acidification paralleled the increasing input of long range transported industrial pollutants, traced by spherical carbonaceous particles. On the contrary, the biota of Lake Paione Inferiore appeared to be mainly affected by fish stocking. In the last twenty years, decrease in acid load from the atmosphere led to an improvement in lake water quality, with an increase in both pH and alkalinity. First signs of biological recovery were identified, such as change in diatom flora and appearance of sensitive species among benthic insects. However, climate change and episodic deposition of Saharan dust were important driving factors controlling lake water chemistry. Further monitoring to assess the effects of climate change and of the increasing load of nitrogen and other pollutants is recommended. 63 Published version http //www.scopus.com/record/display.url eid=2 s2.0 3543064383 origin=inward Articolo in rivista Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi. 1129 5767 Journal of limnology Testo stamp. Journal of limnology Testo stamp. J. limnol. Testo stamp. Journal of limnology. Testo stamp. simona.musazzi MUSAZZI SIMONA angela.boggero BOGGERO ANGELA aldo.marchetto MARCHETTO ALDO giuseppe.morabito MORABITO GIUSEPPE michela.rogora ROGORA MICHELA andrea.lami LAMI ANDREA rosario.mosello MOSELLO ROSARIO NOCENTINI ANNA MARIA pierisa.panzani PANZANI PIERISA gabriele.tartari TARTARI GABRIELE marinamarcella.manca MANCA MARINA MARCELLA alessandra.pugnetti PUGNETTI ALESSANDRA |
