Imagine that a deep temperate zone lake did not "turn over" during the spring and fall seasons. Based on the physical and biological properties of limnetic ecosystems, what would be the difference from normal seasonal turnover?
A) The lake would be uniformly cold during the winter and summer.
B) The lake would fail to freeze over in winter.
C) An algal bloom would result every spring.
D) The lake would suffer a nutrient depletion in its surface layers.
E) The pH of the lake would become increasingly alkaline.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Without seasonal turnover, there would be no mixing of nutrients from the bottom of the lake to the surface layers, which would lead to nutrient depletion in the surface layers. This, in turn, would cause a decrease in productivity and a decline in the population of organisms that rely on these nutrients.

Imagine That a Deep Temperate Zone Lake Did Not "Turn