Limnology in the high Arctic: a case study of Char Lake

Summary

Studies at Char Lake have shown that there are advantages to working in the extreme and simplified conditions of polar lakes. It is much easier to draw up mass or energy balance equations in polar lakes, because they contain fewer species to study, temperature is uniform, and perma-frost ensures that lakes are sealed systems during the winter.

Although low nutrient loading appears to limit biomass of phytoplankton, low temperature controls rate of production. Consequently the production to biomass ratio is lower than in temperate lakes.

The benthic community is relatively more important in the high arctic than in temperate regions. It is responsible for most of the primary production and respiration. It also has the greatest diversity of species. Much remains to be learned about the methodology of obtaining accurate population statistics of benthic organisms in arctic lakes.

There is little sign of arctic adaptation in the classical sense. The species that live in arctic lakes merely develop and respire more slowly than they would at higher temperatures. Consequently they respond slowly to environmental change and long-term studies are needed if we want to predict the response of arctic lake systems to increased nutrient loading or to disturbances of its catchment.