Seasonal Dynamics of Aquatic Environment and Phytoplankton in Pyeongtaek Reservoir, Korea

doi:2003.18.2.145

Algae > Volume 18(2); 2003 > Article

Algae 2003;18(2): 145-156. doi: https://doi.org/10.4490/ALGAE.2003.18.2.145

Jae-Ki Shin

Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Konkuk University

ABSTRACT

Seasonal investigations were conducted to determine the major aquatic environmental factors and the variation of phytoplankton in Pyeongtaek Reservoir in March, June, September, and December 2000. Heavy rainfall mainly occurs from late June to mid-September, and water quality of reservoir was high in the influent zone of stream and riverine zone of reservoir. The biomass of phytoplankton was related to aquatic Environmental factors. In particular, its value increased where nutrient concentration was high. Likewise, the increase of turbidity was found to have anthropogenic effects on the varying quantity of phytoplankton. The phytoplankton composition in quantitative survey identified into 43 genera and 71 species. Species numbers of Bacillariophyceae, Cyanophyceae, and Chlorophyceae accounted for 17%, 15%, and 49%, respectively, with the remainder constituting less than 3-7%. The distribution of such phyla also significantly varied according to seasons, accounting for 25%, 37%, 61%, and 14% in march, June, September, and December, respectively. Bacillariophyceae and Chlorophyceae were observed throughout the year, while Cyanophyceae proliferated in June and September. Euglenophyceae and Dinophyceae were prevalent in March and September, while Cryptophyceae occurred in March and December. The succession trend of phytoplankton showed the maximum cell density was followed by Bacillariophyceae (6.8×10³cells?ml〈sup〉-1〈/sup〉)→Chlorophyceae (3.7×10³cells?ml〈sup〉-1〈/sup〉)→Cyanophyceae (1.3×10⁴cells?ml〈sup〉-1〈/sup〉)→Cryptophyceae (1.2×10³cells?ml〈sup〉-1〈/sup〉). The cell density was the highest in the upstream. Dominant species were composed of Aulacoseira ambigua, Stephanodiscus hantzschii f. tenuis of Bacillariophyceae, Anabaena spiroides var. crassa, Microcystis aeruginosa, Oscillatoria amphibia of Cyanophyceae, Actinastrum hantzschii var. fluviatile, Pediastrum duplex var. reticulatum of Chlorophyceae, Euglena gracilis, Trachelomonas spp. of Euglenophyceae, and Chroomonas spp., Cryptomonas spp. of Cryptophyceae. As a results, seasonal variation of phytoplankton in Pyeongtaek Reservoir was evident in spite of inflow the high concentration of nutrients from watershed streams, because hydrological control and anthropogenic disturbance in reservoir were found to have major effects on the retention time of water.

Key words: eutrophication, Microcystis, phytoplankton, Pyeongtaek Reservoir, Stephanodiscus, wastewater, water quality