The application of palaeolimnology to evidence-based lake management and conservation: examples from UK lakes

Published source details Sayer C.D., Bennion H., Davidson T.A., Burgess A., Clarke G., Hoare D., Frings P. & Hatton-Ellis T. (2012) The application of palaeolimnology to evidence-based lake management and conservation: examples from UK lakes. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 22, 165-180.
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Summary

Action: Remove sediment

A replicated, before-and-after study in 2003–2009 of two small lakes in Norfolk, UK (Sayer et al. 2012) reported that after dredging sediment, aquatic macrophyte richness increased. In the two years before dredging, both lakes were dominated by filamentous algae (data reported as abundance scores). There were a total of 2–5 macrophyte species/lake. Over the 3–4 years after dredging, filamentous algae were still abundant but there were now 5–8 macrophyte species/lake. The study suggests that the macrophyte community in one of the lakes was similar to the historical target community, but that the community in the other lake was missing around six target species. Methods: In winter 2005/2006 and 2006/2007, sediment (80 cm depth) was dredged from two small, shallow lakes (<2 ha; <86 cm deep before dredging). The aim was to expose sediment layers rich in macrophyte spores from historical communities. Dredging depth and target communities were informed by sediment cores. Aquatic macrophytes were surveyed in summer before (2003–2005) and after (2006–2009) dredging.