The unique environment of the most acidified permanently meromictic lake in the Czech Republic

Changes in the water properties and biological characteristics of the highly acidic Hromnice Lake (Western Bohemia) were investigated. This 110-year-old lake, formed as a consequence of the mining of pyritic shales, is permanently meromictic. Two chemoclines separate an extremely acidic (pH similar to 2.6) mixolimnion from a metal-rich anoxic monimolimnion. The absence of spring mixolimnetic turnover due to ice melting and very slow heat propagation through the chemocline with a 6-month delay were observed. Extreme mixolimnetic oxygen maxima (up to 31 mg l(-1)) in phosphorus-rich lake (PO43- up to 1.6 mg l(-1)) well correlated with outbursts of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton consist of several acido-tolerant species of the genera Coccomyxa, Lepocinclis, Chlamydomonas and Chromulina. Surface phytoplankton biomass expressed as chlorophyll-a varies from 2 to 140 mu g l(-1). Multicellular zooplankton are almost absent with the exception of Cephalodella acidophila, a small rotifer occurring in low numbers. Large red larvae of the midge Chironomus gr. plumosus were found at the bottom close to the shore, with larvulae in the open water. Developmental stages (protonemata) of a moss, resembling filamentous algae, dwell in the otherwise plant-free littoral zone. (C) 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.