Abstract
The seasonal succession of phytoplankton in these five waters is described on the basis of data collected on nine samplings carried out between November 1977 and October 1978. Using chlorophyll a as an index of standing crop, the biomass increases from a winter minimum in each loch (<0.5 μg 1-1) to an annual maximum in summer of ca 1.0 μg 1-1 in the poorest lochs e.g. Loch Morar, and ca 2.5 μg 1-1 in the comparatively richer Lochs Awe and Lomond. Considerations of the quality and abundance of the algal floras are restricted to species attaining population densities of at least 10 individuals per litre at some time during the year. Whilst in these soft and nutrient poor waters desmid species are well represented so also are other green algae and blue- green algae; however Cryptophyceae and/or Chrysophyceae constitute the major proportions in terms of numbers of cells recorded at the summer maxima. Fluctuations in the densities of many populations appear to be influenced largely by seasonal changes in water temperature and the extent of thermal stratification. Algal-nutrient relationships are discussed with especial reference to diatoms and silica. Throughout, attempts are made to establish a sequence of lochs illustrating their relative productivity. The results are discussed in relation to general views on oligotrophic lake phytoplankton.
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Bailey-Watts, A.E., Duncan, P. (1981). The phytoplankton. In: Maitland, P.S. (eds) The Ecology of Scotland’s Largest Lochs. Monographiae Biologicae, vol 44. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8635-0_4
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