Assessment of Components Controlling Phytoplankton Photosynthesis and Bacterioplankton Production in a Shallow, Alkaline, Turbid Lake (Neusiedlersee, Austria)

Various aspects of phytoplankton photosynthesis were investigated between 1968 and 1980 in Neusiedlersee, Austria, a shallow (z̄ = 1.3 m), well mixed lake with much turbidity resulting from frequent resuspension of inorganic sediment particles. The influences of the great environmental variability on biomass, photosynthesis and phytoplankton production were determined and discussed with respect to the increasing nutrient concentrations in the lake. Investigations of bacterioplankton biomass and production revealed their importance for nutrient regeneration and as food for large zooplankton populations. The results are compared with those from several other shallow lakes, and an attempt is made to identify characteristics to distinguish the different types.