Spatiotemporal Changes in the Phytoplankton in Lake Baikal during Late Summer: II. Biomass

Abstract

The results of a study of phytoplankton biomass in different regions of Lake Baikal according to data from 15 expeditions from 1994 to 2013 are presented in this paper. The spatial distribution and interannual dynamics of biomass of phytoplankton in all three basins of the lake are analyzed. The general biomass of phytoplankton during late summer is not high. The multiyear mean phytoplankton biomass equals 169 ± 5 mg/m³ for the open waters of the lake. It is distributed relatively uniformly around southern Baikal. There are higher multiyear mean values along the eastern shore in the Middle and Northern Baikal. The late summer phytoplankton biomass in southern and middle basins does not differ. The mean multiyear biomass of phytoplankton of the northern basin is accurately lower than the one for the two others. No increase in biomass for any region of the lake is demonstrated. The relations of the general biomass of phytoplankton with water temperatures are very slight.