Net ecosystem production in lakes

Primary production (algae growth) in lakes is the basis of the lake’s internal food chain. It influences the water quality and the oxygen content in the deep water and contributes to the storage of carbon in the sediments. The present method allows to determine net ecosystem production with comparatively little effort. It is based on measurements from routine monitoring programs and is a robust measure of the development of trophic levels, the phosphorus balance and oxygen depletion in a lake.

Recorded parameters:

The parameters used to calculate the net ecosystem production (NEP) depend on the lake types. It is based on the following parameters:

  • Degradation under oxygen depletion (AHM)
  • Flow of reduced substances from the sediment (RED)
  • Deposition into the sediment (net sedimentation, NS)

Evaluation:

The method allows production to be determined. An evaluation of the production is not carried out.

Further information on the method can be found on the following website: https://opendata.eawag.ch/dataset/net-ecosystem-production

Documents

Skip to content