Inferring Reference Conditions of Hypolimnetic Oxygen for Deteriorated Lake Mallusjärvi in the Cultural Landscape of Mallusjoki, Southern Finland Using Fossil Midge Assemblages

Luoto, Tomi Petteri; Nevalainen, Liisa

Inferring Reference Conditions of Hypolimnetic Oxygen for Deteriorated Lake Mallusjärvi in the Cultural Landscape of Mallusjoki, Southern Finland Using Fossil Midge Assemblages

2011

Luoto, Tomi Petteri | Nevalainen, Liisa

Lake Mallusjärvi in the cultural landscape of Mallusjoki, southern Finland, suffers from algal blooms during summers and oxygen depletions during winters due to increased nutrient input resulting from extensive agricultural activities in the catchment. In this study, a sediment profile from the lake was studied using fossil midge (Diptera: Nematocera) analysis and a hypolimnetic oxygen transfer function was applied to establish baseline conditions of hypolimnetic oxygen. In addition, physical properties of the sediment were determined. The inferred late winter hypolimnetic oxygen content was elevated in the beginning of the sediment sequence, but decreased dramatically at ca. 200Â cal BP, as the inferred values indicated frequently anoxic condition coinciding with increased agricultural use in the catchment. The results indicated that dramatic changes have occurred in the taxon composition. The high-oxygen Stempellina–Ablabesmyia monilis-type community first changed to moderate-oxygen Procladius–Stempellinella community, and finally to low-oxygen Microchironomus tener–Chironomus plumosus-type community, following the eutrophication process. These changes in macrobenthic faunal assemblages reproduced considerably higher inferred hypolimnetic oxygen reference condition values for hypolimnetic oxygen, compared to the present status.

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