Phytoplankton primary production in a eutrophic cooling water pond

The seasonal variation of phytoplankton photosynthesis was measured with 14C-method in a warmed ice-free pond in central Finland. Simultaneously with in situ measurements the photosynthesis was also measured in an incubator with different water temperatures and constant light (ca. 16 W m−2). The total annual photosynthesis was 57.2 C m−2 a−1. The portion of the winter and spring production of the annual photosynthesis was 18.4%, that of the autumn production ws 17.4%. Thus 64.3% of the total annual phytoplankton photosynthesis occurred in the three summer months. The range of the daily integrated photosynthesis per unit area was 1.9—563 mg C m−2d−1. The photosynthetic rate per unit chloroph…