192
J. Kubiak and S. Machula
9.1 Introduction
Large fertilization of surface waters is an extremely important problem in their
protection [1–4]. Urbanization, industrialization, intensive agricultural production
in the catchment area, as well as a significant development of tourism, with the lack
of effective methods of lake protection, affect their high nutrient load, especially
phosphorus and nitrogen [5]. Loads of nutrients often exceed the level considered
dangerous by Vollenweider [6], which is why in the last decades we have observed
fast eutrophication of lakes. The pace of this process and the high degree of advancement of surface water trophies, especially lakes, have become a global problem. The
adverse effects caused by man intensified in the 1930s. Currently, in many countries, including Poland, they have assumed undesirable sizes [2, 7]. Recently, many
publications inform about the deterioration of the quality of our lake waters, and
the term “eutrophication of waters” is one of the most commonly used in limnological literature [2, 3, 8–10]. In England, Wales, Spain, Romania, Denmark, and the
Netherlands, the condition of lakes is similar to that of lakes in Poland. Over 85%
of respondents in recent years have a concentration of total phosphorus and water
transparency characteristic of eutrophy [7, 11–14]. The state of cleanliness of lakes
is primarily the result of progressive eutrophication [15].
In Western Pomerania, as in other parts of Poland, excessive runoff to surface
waters of biogens and organic matter has been noted for years [16–24]. In the
1970s, only 5 tanks showed poor fertility—mesotrophy (lakes: Miedwie, Morzycko,
Krzemie´ n, I´ nsko, and Zajezierze), and two lakes (Jelenin and Wo´ swin) were located
on the borderline of β-mesotrophy and eutrophy [18].
The progressing eutrophication process, leading to a decrease in the quality and
disturbances of the biocenotic balance of waters, even covered particularly protected
waters, i.e. located within national parks [25, 26], as well as estuaries and the sea with
limited contact with ocean waters. Particular examples include the Gulf of Gda´ nsk,
the Pomeranian Bay, the Szczecin Lagoon, and even the entire Baltic Sea [27], in
which 30% of phosphorus and 40% of nitrogen discharged from the entire catchment
comes from Poland [7].
Currently, it is considered that eutrophication is the biggest threat to the biodiversity of freshwater habitats [11]. This process is based on an excessive or disrupted
increase in water fertility, caused by uncontrolled or insufficiently controlled inflow
of biogenic compounds from external sources, as well as on anthropogenic, direct
interference in the internal structure of the ecosystem [1, 2, 4, 12, 28]. The causes and
effects of eutrophication are known and comprehensively described in the limnological literature [3, 4, 29–31]. It is believed that in the vast majority of cases phosphorus
is the factor limiting primary production in inland water reservoirs [2–4, 30]. A similar
situation occurs in estuarine waters [27]. Eutrophication also intensifies excessive
amounts of organic matter, both allo- and indigenous, because its destruction causes
the release of nutrients [2–4, 30].
The lake ecosystem is fed by matter in various ways; its productivity depends on
the intensity of the flow of matter and the amount of biogenic compounds taking
J. Kubiak and S. Machula
9.1 Introduction
Large fertilization of surface waters is an extremely important problem in their
protection [1–4]. Urbanization, industrialization, intensive agricultural production
in the catchment area, as well as a significant development of tourism, with the lack
of effective methods of lake protection, affect their high nutrient load, especially
phosphorus and nitrogen [5]. Loads of nutrients often exceed the level considered
dangerous by Vollenweider [6], which is why in the last decades we have observed
fast eutrophication of lakes. The pace of this process and the high degree of advancement of surface water trophies, especially lakes, have become a global problem. The
adverse effects caused by man intensified in the 1930s. Currently, in many countries, including Poland, they have assumed undesirable sizes [2, 7]. Recently, many
publications inform about the deterioration of the quality of our lake waters, and
the term “eutrophication of waters” is one of the most commonly used in limnological literature [2, 3, 8–10]. In England, Wales, Spain, Romania, Denmark, and the
Netherlands, the condition of lakes is similar to that of lakes in Poland. Over 85%
of respondents in recent years have a concentration of total phosphorus and water
transparency characteristic of eutrophy [7, 11–14]. The state of cleanliness of lakes
is primarily the result of progressive eutrophication [15].
In Western Pomerania, as in other parts of Poland, excessive runoff to surface
waters of biogens and organic matter has been noted for years [16–24]. In the
1970s, only 5 tanks showed poor fertility—mesotrophy (lakes: Miedwie, Morzycko,
Krzemie´ n, I´ nsko, and Zajezierze), and two lakes (Jelenin and Wo´ swin) were located
on the borderline of β-mesotrophy and eutrophy [18].
The progressing eutrophication process, leading to a decrease in the quality and
disturbances of the biocenotic balance of waters, even covered particularly protected
waters, i.e. located within national parks [25, 26], as well as estuaries and the sea with
limited contact with ocean waters. Particular examples include the Gulf of Gda´ nsk,
the Pomeranian Bay, the Szczecin Lagoon, and even the entire Baltic Sea [27], in
which 30% of phosphorus and 40% of nitrogen discharged from the entire catchment
comes from Poland [7].
Currently, it is considered that eutrophication is the biggest threat to the biodiversity of freshwater habitats [11]. This process is based on an excessive or disrupted
increase in water fertility, caused by uncontrolled or insufficiently controlled inflow
of biogenic compounds from external sources, as well as on anthropogenic, direct
interference in the internal structure of the ecosystem [1, 2, 4, 12, 28]. The causes and
effects of eutrophication are known and comprehensively described in the limnological literature [3, 4, 29–31]. It is believed that in the vast majority of cases phosphorus
is the factor limiting primary production in inland water reservoirs [2–4, 30]. A similar
situation occurs in estuarine waters [27]. Eutrophication also intensifies excessive
amounts of organic matter, both allo- and indigenous, because its destruction causes
the release of nutrients [2–4, 30].
The lake ecosystem is fed by matter in various ways; its productivity depends on
the intensity of the flow of matter and the amount of biogenic compounds taking