Lake St Lucia, Africa’s largest estuarine lake in crisis: Combined effects of mouth closure, low levels and hypersalinity
نویسندگان
چکیده
منابع مشابه
Diversity and distribution of polyphagan water beetles (Coleoptera) in the Lake St Lucia system, South Africa
Water beetles belonging to the suborder Polyphaga vary greatly in larval and adult ecologies, and fulfil important functional roles in shallow-water ecosystems by processing plant material, scavenging and through predation. This study investigates the species richness and composition of aquatic polyphagan assemblages in and around the St Lucia estuarine lake (South Africa), within the iSimangal...
متن کاملBiodiversity census of Lake St Lucia, iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa): Gastropod molluscs
The recent dry phase experienced by the St Lucia estuarine system has led to unprecedented desiccation and hypersaline conditions through most of its surface area. This has changed only recently, at the end of 2011, with the onset of a new wet phase that has already caused a major shift to oligo- and mesohaline conditions. The estuary mouth, however, remains closed to the ocean, making the weak...
متن کاملPersistent phytoplankton bloom in Lake St. Lucia (iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa) caused by a cyanobacterium closely associated with the genus Cyanothece (Synechococcaceae, Chroococcales).
Lake St. Lucia, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa, is the largest estuarine lake in Africa. Extensive use and manipulation of the rivers flowing into it have reduced freshwater inflow, and the lake has also been subject to a drought of 10 years. For much of this time, the estuary has been closed to the Indian Ocean, and salinities have progressively risen throughout the system, impacting ...
متن کاملZooplankton of the St. Lucia Estuary during the current drought cycle: a comparison between open- and closed-mouth conditions
The St. Lucia Estuary is currently experiencing a drought-induced crisis, resulting in the system having been closed off from the sea for approximately 8 yr. This closure was interrupted by a brief open-mouth phase, induced by a unique combination of extreme climatic events. The primary aim of the present study was to compare zooplankton dynamics during openand closed-mouth conditions. Sampling...
متن کاملIdentification of bacterial communities in sediments of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China.
Bacteria play a vital role in various biogeochemical processes in lacustrine sediment ecosystems. This study is among the first to investigate the spatial distribution patterns of bacterial community composition in the sediments of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake of China. Sediment samples were collected from the main basins and mouths of major rivers that discharge into the Poyang Lak...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
ژورنال
عنوان ژورنال: South African Journal of Science
سال: 2011
ISSN: 1996-7489,0038-2353
DOI: 10.4102/sajs.v107i3/4.291