Author/Editor     Kernan, Marin; Brancelj, Anton; Clarke, Gina; Lami, Andrea
Title     Environmental and biological characteristics of high altitude Iochs in Scotland
Type     članek
Source     In: Catalan J, Curtis CJ, Kernan M, editors. Patterns and factors of biota distribution in remote European lakes. Stuttgart: Schweizerbart science publishers,
Publication year     2010
Volume     str. 379-417
Language     eng
Abstract     As part of a comprehensive evaluation of the status of remote mountain lake ecosystems throughout Europe, the response of key organisms in mountain lakes to variations in environmental gradients due to geography and c1imate, pollution and catchment characteristics in Scotland was examined. Samples were taken from the pelagic (zooplankton, bacteria and chlorophyll a) and littoral (benthic invertebrates and epilithic diatoms) zones. Surface sediment samples were taken for analysis of sub-fossil Cladocera, chironomids, diatoms and pigments. Concentrations of trace metaIs, persistent organic pollutants and spheroidal carbonaceous particles were also measured. This paper describes the variation in species composition and environmental characteristics of upland lochs across northern Scotland and examines how the former may be related to the latter. Multivariate techniques were employed to examine patterns and relationships within and among the multivariate species and environmental datasets. Results show that in remote mountain lakes in Scotland, biological assemblages of key organi sms groups are driven by a number of environmental gradients, in particular organic content and acid-base status. It appears that these systems can broadly be divided into two main types, on the basis oftheir species composition. Low alkalinity lochs with sparse soil coverage at higher altitudes have distinctly different biological communities compared with lochs with high level s of organic matter and high proportions of peaty soils in the catchments.
Descriptors     ECOSYSTEM
FRESH WATER
ZOOPLANKTON
ROTIFERA
CHIRONOMIDAE
DIATOMS
BACTERIA
CHLOROPHYLL
GEOLOGIC SEDIMENTS
WATER POLLUTANTS
INVERTEBRATES
SCOTLAND