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Iron fertilization of the Southern ocean
Přibylová, Petra ; Koblížek, Michal (advisor) ; Nedbalová, Linda (referee)
This thesis summarizes the current knowledge of the effect of iron on the growth of plankton in relation to lowering the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Iron is a limiting factor for phytoplankton growth in large parts of the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Ocean. This thesis is focused on the Southern ocean, where it chronologically describes natural and artificial experiments, where the objective was to uncover the possibilities of artificial iron fertilization of the ocean. The iron fertilization experiments were based on supplying the upper layer of the ocean with an iron solution, which resulted in an increase in phytoplankton growth and chlorophyll concentration. The reaction of plankton to a natural iron input via upwelling was also observed. In these cases an increase of phytoplankton and chlorophyll was observed. Nowadays, the lively discussed possibility of large-scale fertilization is restricted by the United Nations due to insufficient knowledge and concerns of geoengineering.
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Diet quality impact on growth and survival of freshwater zooplankton species
Sýkorová, Veronika ; Sacherová, Veronika (advisor) ; Nedbalová, Linda (referee)
Food quality has a significant influence on freshwater zooplankon. It influences its growth rate and development generally. By quality we understand a certain stoichiometric ratio of the main biogenic elements (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) in the biomass of food. Ecological stechiometry is helping to understand the balance of chemical elements in ecological interactions and processes. Freshwater zooplankton consists mostly of two groups of organisms: rotifers (Rotifera) and crustaceans (Crustacea) - cladocerans (Cladocera) and copepods (Copepoda). Each of this groups requires different quality of food. Most of filtering cladocerans are fast- growing organisms, which need a phosphorus-rich food for their fast development (small C:P ratio in food) and vice versa for most of the copepods. The food offered is not always ideal for all members of zooplankton, that is why various pre- and post- absorptional mechanisms developed to help them to cope with unsuitable food. The ability to survive unvafourable conditions is closely linked to the zoolpankton's reactions to unsuitable C:N:P ratio in its food. The C:N:P ratio in food of zooplankton also influences the species distribution in water bodies. Key words: stoichiometry, food quality, zooplankton
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Phytoplankton in experimental ponds: colonization and seasonal succession
Hrušková, Lenka ; Nedbalová, Linda (advisor) ; Lukavský, Jaromír (referee)
Artificial ponds are excellent for the study of phytoplankton ecology. They permit repeatable initial conditions and sufficient replication of independent experimental units in complex experiments to test hypotheses about the control of structure and function in natural communities. There were 20 experimental ponds constructed in Kokoř nsko Protected Landscape Area, from which samples were taken and analyzed. This study was part of the EU BIOPOOL. During the first two years after the filling of the ponds the colonization and the seasonal development of phytoplankton communities in the ponds were examined. The phytoplankton species composition was determined, then species richness and relative abundance of individual taxa were quantified. Species composition data were compared with the environmental parameters measured (temperature, oxygen concentration, pH, transparency, conductivity, depth, chlorophyll-a concentration, and zooplankton). In the spring 2007, the ponds were periodic, and followed a similar trend over time (February- April). There were dominated by the following taxonomic groups: Dinophyta, Chrysophyta, Cryptophyta, and Euglenophyta. After installing foil on the bottom of the ponds, the ponds were of permanent character. In terms of environmental parameters, the individual ponds...
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Phytoplankton of the Tatra lakes: factors influencing taxonomic composition and biomass
Červenková, Lenka ; Nedbalová, Linda (advisor) ; Štefková, Elena (referee)
The aim of this diploma thesis was to describe species composition and biomass of phytoplankton in the Tatra Mountains lakes (Slovakia, Poland) and environmental factors influencing them. The surface layer of 89 lakes was sampled in September 2004. Flagellates from Chrysophyta, Dinophyta and Cryptophyta most frequently dominated the phytoplankton biomass. Lake in the same valley usually differed in their dominant taxonomic group as a result of different lake morphometry, catchment type and detailed geological structure. Based on the level of phytoplankton biovolume, the majority of lakes were ultraoligotrophic and oligotrophic, however, mesotrophic and even eutrophic conditions were recorded in some forest and meadow lakes. An allometric relationship between phytoplankton biomass and chlorophyll a was revealed. Specific chlorophyll content did not differ among taxonomic groups. Altogether 233 species were determined, the most diverse group were Chlorophyta. Species richness of lake was 3-46 and it was negatively correlated with altitude and positively correlated with lake area. The majority of species were rare both in term of biomass and number of lakes occupied by a particular species. Average local species biomass was positively correlated with regional distribution. The similarity of species...
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Phytoplankton in acidified lakes: structure, function and response to ecosystem recovery
Nedbalová, Linda
This thesis is based on five publications dealing with plankton assemblages of lakes in two heavily acidified mountain areas in Central Europe, the Bohemian Forest and the High Tatra Mountains. As both lake districts are the object of long term systematic ecological research, a unique set of complex limnological data was gathered, enabling a comparison with other affected regions throughout the world and also some attempts at generalisation. My role in the team consisted chiefly in the study of phytoplankton as the key component of the food web. I was mainly concerned with the structure, seasonal development and function of the phytoplankton assemblages, and I also focused on the evaluation of general biological response to the current chemical recovery of the lakes from acidification. The main questions addressed in this thesis with an emphasis on phytoplankton assemblages are the following: What is the recent progress in chemical and biological recovery of the Bohemian Forest lakes from acidification? What are the key factors and mechanisms influencing species composition and structure of plankton biomass in the Bohemian Forest lakes? What is the role of episodic acidification in shaping both phytoplankton abundance and biomass in a non acidified high mountain seepage lake (Ľadové Lake, High Tatra...
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Variability in extracellular phosphatase activity of dominant phytoplankton species in the Bohemian Forest lakes
Novotná, Jana ; Rulík, Martin (referee) ; Nedbalová, Linda (advisor)
Phosphorus (P) is considered as the most frequently limiting factor for phytoplankton growth in freshwater environments. One of the ways, how to solve the lack of P in algae and cyanobacteria, is the production of extracellular phosphatases. Extracellular phosphatase activity (PA) of phytoplankton at the single cell level was investigated in three acidified mountain lakes - Čertovo, Prášilské and Plešné in the Bohemian Forest (Czech Republic) from May to September 2007. PA of phytoplankton was detected directly at the site of enzyme activity using the fluorescence labelled enzyme activity technique (FLEA) and epifluorescence microscopy. The FLEA technique is based on colourless substrate ELF phosphate (ELFP) that is converted by enzymatic hydrolysis to the insoluble fluorescent product ELF alcohol (ELFA), which marks the site of PA. This thesis is divided into two parts. The first part (in Czech) is aimed at a general comparison of PA of phytoplankton in the three Bohemian Forest lakes. PA was characteristic for dinoflagellates Gymnodinium uberrimum, Gymnodinium sp. and Peridinium umbonatum that were ELFA labelled in all lakes almost during the whole season. Other species (e.g. Carteria sp., Chlorogonium fusiforme or Synura sp.) were active either in only one of lakes or in some samples. PA was...
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Phytoplankton of the Slapy reservoir: seasonal changes and sedimentation losses
Krutílková, Lucie ; Desortová, Blanka (referee) ; Nedbalová, Linda (advisor)
Seasonal development of phytoplankton in the central part of the eutrophic canyon-shaped Slapy Reservoir was studied in 2003-2007. Weekly sampling interval of the euphotic layer (0-4 m) revealed detailed information on the timing and shape of phytoplankton peaks, not clearly detected by previous monitoring carried out in three-week intervals. The phytoplankton biomass (expressed as chlorophyll a concentration) formed usually three sharp peaks during the vegetation period. In winters with little or no ice cover, the winter minimum was followed by an exponential increase under conditions of almost continuous mixing. After the onset of thermal stratification the increase continued due to markedly improved light conditions in the epilimnetic layer, until the first seasonal maximum was reached. After the sudden decline of the spring peak, the clear-water phase occurred in late May or early June. The pattern of the two summer peaks was especially in 2006 more complex, due to their dependence on a set of less predictable factors. Concerning species composition of peaks, a regular pattern was also observed. Typically, the spring maximum was formed by fast growing cryptomonad flagellates (Plagioselmis spp., Cryptomonas spp.) and small centric diatoms from various genera. The other two peaks were less...
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