Lake ecosystem: Difference between revisions

Lentic systems gain most of their energy from photosynthesis performed by aquatic plants and algae.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Ke |last2=Yang |first2=Xiangdong |last3=Kattel |first3=Giri |last4=Lin |first4=Qi |last5=Shen |first5=Ji |title=Freshwater lake ecosystem shift caused by social-economic transitions in Yangtze River Basin over the past century |journal=Scientific Reports |date=21 November 2018 |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=17146 |doi=10.1038/s41598-018-35482-5 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-35482-5 |access-date=13 January 2024 |language=en |issn=2045-2322|hdl=11343/219728 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> This [[wikt:autochthonous|autochthonous]] process involves the combination of carbon dioxide, water, and solar energy to produce carbohydrates and dissolved oxygen. Within a lake or pond, the potential rate of photosynthesis generally decreases with depth due to light attenuation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pirc |first=Helmut |date=January 1986 |title=Seasonal aspects of photosynthesis in Posidonia oceanica: Influence of depth, temperature and light intensity |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0304377086900215 |journal=Aquatic Botany |language=en |volume=26 |pages=203–212 |doi=10.1016/0304-3770(86)90021-5}}</ref> Photosynthesis, however, is often low at the top few millimeters of the surface, likely due to inhibition by ultraviolet light. The exact depth and photosynthetic rate measurements of this curve are system-specific and depend upon: 1) the total biomass of photosynthesizing cells, 2) the amount of light attenuating materials, and 3) the abundance and frequency range of light absorbing pigments (i.e. [[chlorophylls]]) inside of photosynthesizing cells.<ref name="moss:1998"/> The energy created by these primary producers is important for the community because it is transferred to higher [[trophic level]]s via consumption.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shimoda |first1=Yuko |last2=Azim |first2=M. Ekram |last3=Perhar |first3=Gurbir |last4=Ramin |first4=Maryam |last5=Kenney |first5=Melissa A. |last6=Sadraddini |first6=Somayeh |last7=Gudimov |first7=Alex |last8=Arhonditsis |first8=George B. |title=Our current understanding of lake ecosystem response to climate change: What have we really learned from the north temperate deep lakes? |journal=Journal of Great Lakes Research |date=1 March 2011 |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=173–193 |doi=10.1016/j.jglr.2010.10.004 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0380133010002091 |access-date=13 January 2024 |issn=0380-1330}}</ref>