TITLE:
The Impact of Available Nitrogen Deficiency on Long-Term Changes in the Lake Kinneret Ecosystem
AUTHORS:
Moshe Gophen
KEYWORDS:
Kinneret, Peridinium, Ammonia, Hula Valley
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.5 No.4,
April
8,
2015
ABSTRACT: Lake Kinneret Ecosystem structure has undergone significant modification
since early 1990s. Scientists have indicated several causative factors for
those long-term changes. The sharp decline of Peridinium and the upset
of Cyanobacteria are the major changes. Several options were suggested as the reason
for those changes. Among others are the followings: high amplitude of water
level fluctuations, global warming, fisheries management, salts diversion,
onset and offset of beach vegetation, anthropogenic operations in the drainage
basin, allelopathic trait of algal competition, etc. It was suggested that the
reduction of ammonia supply from the Hula Valley resulted in the conversion of the
land from lake and swamps covered to agriculture followed by elimination of
treated domestic sewage and fishponds effluents enhanced deficiency of
available N in Lake Kinneret. This paper evaluates the impact of available
Nitrogen decline which enhanced Kinneret ecosystem modifications.