Phototrophic Picoplankton in Temperate Lakes: Seasonal Abundance and Importance along a Trophic Gradient

Abstract The seasonal development of autotrophic picoplankton was investigated in seven Danish lakes representing a eutrophication gradient. Highest cell abundance between 1.5 to 6 × 105 cells ml−1 were found in mid‐summer. Minor peaks were observed in spring. In winter, densities were below 103 ml−1. The highest relative picoplankton contribution to total autotrophic biomass also occurred in mid‐summer. In the eutrophic lakes and one humic lake the average seasonal contribution of picoplankton to total chlorophyll was below 1% increasing to 5‐8% in the meso‐ and oligotrophic clear water lakes. During short periods the proportion of picoplankton did reach 25%. The higher relative importance of picoplankton in less productive lakes was not due to higher actual chlorophyll concentrations, but due to a much more pronounced response by larger algae at higher nutrient loading. Both cyanobacteria and eukaryote organisms were present as picoplankton. Only eukaryotes were found in one eutrophic lake and an acidic, humic lake. In the eutrophic lakes eukaryote picoplankton was dominant; both with respect to cell densities and biovolume, whereas cyanobacteria dominated the two meso‐oligotrophic lakes. Autotrophic picoplankton were present in all lake types, however their importance seemed to be less in most eutrophic lakes than in less productive, meso‐oligotrophic lakes.