title: Organic matter and photosynthetic pigments in sediments of lakes Peipsi and Võrtsjärv as markers to follow ecosystem changes in large shallow lakes
reg no: ETF6741
project type: Estonian Science Foundation research grant
subject: 1.16. Marine Sciences and Limnology
status: accepted
institution: Estonian University of Life Sciences
head of project: Ilmar Tõnno
duration: 01.01.2006 - 31.12.2009
description: The proposed research is aimed to analyse ecosystem changes of large shallow lakes based on the information stored in sediments. The following results would be achieved:
1. Estimation of long-term dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) origin according to the distribution of DOM in sediment pore-water of L. Peipsi and L. Võrtsjärv.
2. Review of long-term changes of phytoplankton in lakes Peipis and Võrtsjärv according to the distribution of photosynthetic pigments (PSP) and their derivatives in sediments.
3. Estimation of long-term eutrophication dynamics of L. Peipsi and L. Võrtsjärv according to the information available from sediments (DOM, PSP and their derivatives).
Identification of dissolved organic matter in sediments allows to estimate long-term changes in relative importance of lake and cachment area in formation of organic matter. Investigation of DOM and PSP from L. Peipsi and L. Võrtsjärv sediments is expected to give new knowledge to understand eutrophication processes of shallow eutrophic lakes.
Studies of long- term changes of lake ecosystems via sediment analyses are timely both from the aspect of eutrophication and climate change impact analyses. Few studies have been done on paleolimnological aspects of large shallow lakes. Therefore, the proposed investigation will add important information for using sediment investigations for estimation of long-term ecological changes of such lakes, as well as for modelling and predicting future scenarios.

project group
no name institution position  
1.Anu Kisand 
2.Aina Leeben 
3.Ilmar TõnnoEesti Maaülikool