Journal article
Why are Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo so different? A limnological comparison of two neighboring major Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes
- Abstract:
- Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo are the two largest Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes; they are located close to each other, but have a strikingly different water transparency. We explain key differences in the structure and the functioning of the food web with variation in limnological variables and major pelagic food web compartments within and across both lakes. Data from a detailed comparative investigation of physical and chemical variables and zooplankton community characteristics during the wet and dry season from two consecutive years revealed major differences in key limnological variables between Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo. The most pronounced differences were related to water transparency and the amount of suspended solids in the water column. Lake Abaya is much more turbid, has lower phyto- and zooplankton biomass, and has considerably lower primary production than Lake Chamo. Based on our results, we infer that the profound differences in food web structure between both lakes probably result from differences in sediment load. Finally, our results indicate that conservation programs should focus on reducing sediment inflow from the catchments into the lakes.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
Actions
Access Document
- Files:
-
-
(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 626.5KB, Terms of use)
-
- Publisher copy:
- 10.1007/s10750-018-3707-8
Authors
- Publisher:
- Springer International Publishing
- Journal:
- Hydrobiologia More from this journal
- Volume:
- 829
- Issue:
- 1
- Pages:
- 113–124
- Publication date:
- 2018-07-11
- Acceptance date:
- 2018-04-08
- DOI:
- EISSN:
-
1573-5117
- ISSN:
-
0018-8158
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
pubs:843936
- UUID:
-
uuid:ba56c90c-36ff-4063-8cd5-63abbf95bfc6
- Local pid:
-
pubs:843936
- Source identifiers:
-
843936
- Deposit date:
-
2018-04-24
- ARK identifier:
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Springer Nature Switzerland AG
- Copyright date:
- 2018
- Notes:
- Copyright © 2018 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available online from Springer at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-018-3707-8
If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record