Limnologica 30 (2000) 113-120 LIMNOLOGICA

http://www.urbanfischer.de/j ournals/limno
© by Urban & Fischer Verlag

Technical University of Berlin, Institute of Technical Environmental Protection, Department Water Quality Control, Berlin, Germany

Limnology of an Equatorial High Mountain Lake in Ecuador,

Lago San Pablo*

GUNTER GUNKEL

With 7 Figures and 4 Tables

Key words: Limnology, tropical lakes, high mountain lakes, Ecuador, Lake San Pablo, South America

Abstract
Tropical high mountain lakes in the Andean area of Ecuador are a A special type of tropical lake are the mountain lakes in
special type of lake, that had not been studied. They are cold water the equatorial zone. These lakes are situated directly on the
lakes situated 3,000 to 4,000 m above sea level, directly on the equa- equator where they receive intensive illumination without
tor. Limnological investigations were undertaken to determine the seasonal variation. Such lakes are found in the Andes at
succession of phyto- und zooplankton and to elucidate basic limno-
about 3,000 to 4,000 m above sea level. Because of their
logical processes, such as thermal stratification and mixing process-
es. high elevations these lakes contain cold water at tempera-
Today Lake San Pablo, the largest lake in Ecuador, is a eutrophic tures less than 20 °C. There are only a few lakes of this type,
lake due to the input of sewage and other nutrients from the catch- all situated in the Andes of Ecuador, Columbia and northern
ment area, which originate from intensive agriculture and land ero- Peru. The well-known Lake Titicaca, also in the high Andean
sion. Some data on water chemistry of the lake are presented. Lake region, has been intensively studied for many years (LAz-
San Pablo is a monomictic lake with a short mixing period during ZARO 1981; DEJOUX 1992). This lake is situated at 15 ° south
July to September. Stratification of the lake and mixing processes latitude, where a significant seasonal variation of the climate
caused by nocturnal cooling are of great significance for the eu- occurs, and cannot be considered an example of an equatori-
trophication, which occurred mainly during the last decade.
al high mountain lake.
Initial data on the phytoplankton, zooplankton and macrophytes
Before this study, no continuous limnological research
are provided, which show that the biocoenosis has low diversity.
Considering the high nutrient level, phytoplankton biomass is low. had been performed in Ecuador, and the knowledge of the
lake and river systems is very poor. Only a few studies had
been completed on water chemistry and lake classification
1. Introduction (LOFFLER 1959; STEINITZ-KANNANet al. 1983; BAIGUN &
MARINONE 1995), in addition, some taxonomic studies had
The limnology of tropical lakes is of great interest and has been carried out on the phytoplankton (ROTT 1981),
become a main field of contemporary limnological research Characeae (GUERLEQUIN 1981), Rotatoria (KosTE &
to overcome the lack of knowledge. Tropical lakes are warm BOrrOER 1989, 1992) and the Ostracoda and Copepoda
water lakes situated in the tropical and subtropical parts of (LOFFLER 1963).
Asia, Africa, Central and South America. The chemical and The radiation input to tropical lakes is very high and the
physical properties as well as the biological processes of water body heats up during the daytime and cools at night.
tropical lakes differ significantly to those of temperate lakes Heat transfer between the water surface and the atmosphere
(LEW~S 1987), due to temperature and thermal stratification, produces convective nocturnal mixing. Tropical lakes, situ-
radiation and primary production, diversity of fauna and ated in the lowland, are polymictic at a high temperature
flora and metabolic processes in the water body. level, and water exchange occurs every night due to diver-
gence and convergence processes. This intensive water ex-
change, the high radiation and the temperature level are pa-
* This paper is dedicated to Prof. Dr. HARTMUTKAUSCHon the occa- rameters, not adequately accounted for in the nutrient load-
sion of his 60 thbirthday. ing concept of VOLLENWEIDER(VOLLENWEIDER1968; OECD

0075-9511/00/30/02-113 $12.00/0 113

1982; TUNDISI 1990). Therefore a modified nutrient loading dard limnological equipment is used and analyses are completed fol-
concept was developed for tropical South American lakes by lowing the US Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and
the Centro Panamerican de Ingenieria Sanitaria y Ciencias Wastewater and the German Standard Rules for Water Analysis
del Ambiente (CEPIS 1990). However the application of this (DEV). Chemical analyses are performed by the Subsecretaria
Saneamiento de Quito and the Escuela Politecnica Nacional de
model to tropical high mountain lakes is questionable, and
Quito (1998-2000), phyto- and zooplankton analyses are completed
nothing has been learned about eutrophication processes in
by the Technical University of Berlin.
this type of lake. The surroundings, especially the catchment area of the main
Investigations are carried out at Lake San Pablo, Ecuador, water source, the Rio Itambi, was studied by the author, using aerial
in the high Andes. The aim of this study is to describe the photographs taken in 1994.
limnological processes of this type of lakes under considera-
tion of the eutrophication processes. This includes the turn
over of the nutrientes, the limitation of primary production as 3. Study Area
well as the succession of phyto- and zooplankton.
Lake San Pablo is a high mountain lake, 2,660 m above
sea level (ASL), in the Andes of Ecuador, South America,
2. Material and Methods situated near Otavalo at 0°12 ' north latitude and 78°13 ' east
longitude. It is a natural lake, the largest one of Ecuador.
The first investigations on the water quality in Lake San Pablo, Lake San Pablo is a nearly circular lake with a shoreline de-
Ecuador, were realised in 1993/1994 by the Subsecretaria velopment factor of 1.21 and a steep slope of the shore. The
Saneamiento de Quito which sampled monthly inflow, outflow and maximum depth is 35.2 m, and the mean depth is 26.0 m
the water at three sites in the lake for one year. Their data are being
(Fig. 1). The lake surface area is 583 hectares, and its volume
evaluated by the author. In 1996 investigations had been performed
is 140.106 m 3.
about the occurrence of macrophytes, and since 1997, limnological
investigations are carried out in Lake San Pablo by GUNKELet al. The main water source is the Rio Itambi, which con-
These include studies of the stratification, its stability, mixing pro- tributes 90% of total input, a small creek with a 20-years
cesses and the annual succession of phyto- and zooplankton by sam- mean flow of 1.4 m 3 sec 1. In addition there are some period-
pling every two weeks, a mapping of the sediments and an evalua- ically inflowing brooks and a few springs. The source of the
tion of the eutrophication processes. In these investigations, stan- Rio Itambi is 3,600 m ASL, and its catchment area extends to
4,000 m ASL. The outlet is the so
called Desaguadera. The water
N residence time is about 3.2 years
(ZEVALLOS 1992). The catchment
T area is 14,790 hectares, and the
ratio of the catchment to the lake
surface amounts to 1:26.
T h e catchment area of the Rio
Itambi had been mapped (Table
Pucara i
1), and it shows a very high risk of
nutrient input from intensive agri-
culture due to the slope of the
area. Agriculture is practiced up
to 3,600 m ASL, and up to this el-
evation, crop growing is the main
land use with four to six harvests
San Pablo per year. The intensive cultiva-
i1##tj tion, steep slope of the fields and
high precipitation rate results in
/ much erosion as well as a high
input of nutrients into the lake. In-
tensive land use for the past few
Totora . .- ""
decades led to the destruction of
the ancient wet high mountain
forests, and we must assume that
1km this is one significant factor for
SanRafael
eutrophication processes occur-
Fig. 1. Map of Lake San Pablo, Ecuador. ring today in Lake San Pablo.

114 Limnologica 30 (2000) 2

Table 1. The catchment area of the Rio Itambi, the main source of hypolimnic temperature is rather high. Consequently, the
water for Lake San Pablo with a catchment area of 12,133 hectares thermal stratification of the lake is weak.
(basis: aerial photographs from 1994). Mixing processes may be caused by nocturnal cooling
and the development of convergence water currents, which
Flowing water system
leads to nocturnal mixing. Besides the evaporation rate is
Rios Itambi and La Compafiia 8.1 km
Axillary creeks 11.6 km high, and this may lead to a cooling of the surface water. An-
Temporary axillary creeks 80.7 km other important factor is the lack of coriolis forces in the
Irrigation ditches 1.6 km equatorial. No deflection of currents produced by the winds
occurs under these conditions. Consequently, the effects of
Slope of the catchment area
wind are greater than in temperate areas. The stability of the
0-5% slope 7.2%
thermal stratification is very significant for the distribution
5-12% slope 5.8%
12-25% slope 14.8% of oxygen and nutrients. Investigations to quantify the mix-
25-50% slope 21.6% ing processes using oxygen isotope concentrations, drifting
50-70% slope 18.7% bodies and continuous registration of the thermal stratifica-
> 70% slope 31.9% tion are planned.
The biology of cold high mountain lakes is also of interest
Soils
Volcanic ashes (Duripan or Cangahua) 42.7% because these are isolated lakes in the tropics. The colonisa-
Coarse gravel (pumice stone) with sand, silt and clay 1.8% tion of this high mountain area could not have occurred via
Sand and silt with < 30% clay 33.6% Central America, and studies of the vertebrates show that it
Silt with > 30% clay 1.9% took place via southern South America. Therefore, these
Pseudosilt, partly with sand 20.3% ecosystems are normally poor in diversity, and the diversity
decreases toward the equator. Another factor that affected the
Land coverage
Humid mountain forest 0% colonisation process is human activity, and many species oc-
Bush vegetation 0% curring in these lakes are introduced. For example trout and
Grass vegetation (Paramo) 40% bass were released for fish production, while aquarium
Reeds (Totora) 0.2% plants were accidently introduced.
Crop culture (maize, seeds, potatoes) 35.1% Nothing is known about the succession of the phyto- und
Natural meadows 0% zooplankton in these lakes. Because there are no seasons, a
Grassland 7.6% climax state could be reached through niche building and di-
Flower culture 0.2% versification of species. However, it is also possible that
Forest (gum tree, eucalyptus) 7.8%
slight differences in the wind forces and inflow intensity
Settlement areas 0.3 %
Mixed land use 8.8% might influence mixing processes and lead to a seasonal suc-
cession of species. Another aspect of interest is the effect of
high UV-radiation at about 3,000 m ASL, which may lead to
About 20,000 people live in the Lake San Pablo area, a damage of the cells and possibly suppress primary produc-
nearly 5,000 of which inhabit small settlements, while the tion.
rest live in rural areas. The lake is important for these people, A few data are already available from this investigation
who use its water for irrigation, take animals there to drink, program, as discussed below.
remove drinking water for themselves, wash clothes there
and fish. The sewage from the main settlement is introduced 4.2. Physical and chemical parameters of
directly through a pipe into the lake. In addition, sewage the San Pablo Lake
flows into the Rio Itambi from the rural dwellings. Neverthe-
less, the lake is used for recreation and boating and is expect- • Thermal Stratification
ed to become a centre for tourist activities. The water temperature of Lake San Pablo varies between
- 1 9 °C at the surface and -17 °C in deep water with little
seasonal variation. The daytime air temperature does not
4. Limnology of Lake San Pablo, change during the whole year; however rain intensity and
wind forces vary slightly to produce a dry and a wet season.
a tropical high mountain lake
The thermal stratification of the lake results from the
daily heating as well as from the inflow of the colder Rio
4.1. Limnological classification of the high
Itambi. An interflow or an underflow must be assumed. In
Andean lakes Fig. 2, a comparison of the diurnal and nocturnal stratifica-
Lake San Pablo can be classified as a cold water lake with a tion is shown. A daily warming to 19.5 °C occurs in a water
temperature below 20 °C. However due to the high heat body of about 5 m depth. Nocturnal cooling produced a sur-
input from insolation and the lack of seasonal changes, the face temperature of 19 °C, and there was a mixing due to

Limnologica 30 (2000) 2 115

 temperature [°C] convective processes to a depth of 15 m, which corresponds
15 16 17 18 19 20 to the epilimnion. The oxygen concentrations revealed that
0 the lake was stratified below 15 m and had an anoxic hypo-

J
limnion. Little temperature change occurred below 15 m.
The temperature isopleths for a whole year (Fig. 3) show
that there is a stratification period from October to June
when the epilimnion is about 12 to 15 m deep. However the
temperature differences only amount to 1 to 2 °C, and a
polymixis of the upper 15 m took place. A mixing period oc-
10 curs during June to September, promoted by the windy peri-
od with little precipitation.
In the Andean region shallow lakes with less than about

,Ji
15
20 m depth should be polymictic. However stability, wind
effect, evaporation, nocturnal cooling, heating by insolation,
E
c~ temperature gradient and absolute temperatures as well as
other factors should be considered to evaluate thermal stabil-
20 ity.

• Water chemistry
25
The water of Lake San Pablo is slightly alkaline and has a
conductivity of about 250 to 300 ItS cm -I. The calcium con-
E tent is about 20 mg/1.
The phosphorus concentrations were increased by sewage
30 input. During the stratification period, the soluble reactive
- o - 1,5.00 Uhr phosphorus (SRP) concentration in the epilimnion was about
]--
- - ~ - 2.55 Uhr 0.02 to 0.09 mg 1-I, but it increases up to 0.15 mg 1 ~ during
35
overturn. In the hypolimnion, very high concentrations
reaching 0.32 mg 1-1 were recorded. A significant stratifica-
Fig. 2. Daytime (15.00 hrs, white points) and nighttime (2.55 hrs, tion of the ortho-phosphate occurs similar to that of the tem-
black points) temperature profiles in Lake San Pablo on March 19, perature. In the epilimnion, SRP is available during the
1998. whole period of stratification (Fig. 4).

months monms
12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11
i i i i r q I I ~ i i i i i I i i I
19', ~'20 ; ~-, ""~-~' "
20

........ \ ii

10
\q .05 .05 .10 .10 .05

18 ~" 10- " '

2O
15- ....--.-,15 ~ .15 .15 //~

17"'" ",. \
30 17 16 15 15 ' 16' 20 - •
o - PO43- (mg/O
(oc)

Fig. 3. Isotherms in Lake San Pablo during 1993 and 1994, accord- Fig. 4. Phosphorus concentrations reported as ortho-phosphate (sol-
ing to data from the Subsecretaria de Saneamiento, Quito. uble reactive phosphorus) in Lake San Pablo. The data are only valid
for the upper 20 m water during 1993 and 1994 and were obtained
from the Subsecretaria de Saneamiento, Quito.

116 Limnologica 30 (2000) 2

 02 (%) months
12 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
25 50 75 100 125 150
0.0

2.5
10-

5.0
v
15-
£
7.5
20 ~

10.0 25 ~

12.5 30-
1 4 4 3 21
E 02 (mg/I)

15.0
Fig. 6. The oxygen concentrations in Lake San Pablo. Saturation is
reached at a concentration of 6.4 mg per 1 at 20 °C. The data were
obtained from the Subsecretaria de Saneamiento, Quito, and were
17.5
collected during 1993 and 1994.

20.0
algae has been reported in the first three months period of in-
vestigations. There may be another factor that is limiting pri-
22.5 mary production.
The stratification of the lake produces a clinograde oxygen
profile with supersaturation in the epilimnic zone and
25.0
a lack of oxygen in the hypolimnion below 15 m depth
(Fig. 5). The decrease in oxygen must be an result of the high
27.5
load of organic substances in the inflow from the Rio Itambi,
in which the mean oxygen concentration is 5.4 mg 1-1, and the
mean biological oxygen demand (BOD5) is 12.2 mg 1 1. The
30.0 isopleths for oxygen confirm that there is a stratification of
oxygen and that the hypolimnion of Lake San Pablo is anoxic
Fig. 5. The oxygen saturation level in Lake San Pablo on April 22,
(Fig. 6). This lack of oxygen is a good indication of the troph-
1994, as recorded by the Subsecretaria de Saneamiento, Quito.
ic state of the lake, which is overloaded with organic matter.
The primary production and input of degradable organic sub-
The concentration of total phosphorus ranges from stances create a demand for oxygen that the hypolimnion of
0.14-0.25 mg 1-1 in the epilimnion and to 0.5-0.9 mg 1 i in the lake cannot meet. After overturn, the oxygen saturation is
the hypolimnion. During overturn, the mean phosphorus low in the whole lake, ranging from 60 to 80% of saturation.
concentration in the epilimnion is 0.36 mg 1-1. The anaerobic hypolimnion causes damage to the benthic
The concentration of nitrogen is lower, which is typical fauna. The sediments below a depth of 15 m are rich of or-
for tropical areas due to the intensive metabolic processes in ganic matter, anaerobic and free of any invertebrates.
the catchment area. The concentration of NH4-N remains The transparency of the lake is reduced to a Secchi depth
below 0.3 mg 1-1, and the concentration of NO3-N is usually of 2 to 4.2 m. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon
below 0.5 mg 1-1. However, during overturn, the nitrate-N is relatively low (3-5 mg l-J).
concentration increases to as much as 3 mg 1 1.
The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus by weight ranged
from 7:1 to 0.5:1. Therefore, the production in the lake is
4.3. Fauna and flora of the lake
limited by nitrogen and not by phosphorus. This limitation • Bacteria and phytoplankton
by nitrogen should promote a development of blue-green In Lake San Pablo the number of colibacteria is high with as
algae because some species can use the N2 gas as source of many as 170 coli total per 100 ml and 110 coli faecal per
nitrogen. However, no significant amount of blue-green 100 ml in the centre of the lake. The numbers at the outlet

Limnologica 30 (2000) 2 117

Table 2. The phytoplankton species in Lake San Pablo during 1998. Table 3. The species of macrophytes in Lake San Pablo during Oc-
tober/November 1996.
Cryptophyeeae
Cryptomonas ovata EHRENBERG Species Common Occurrence
Cryptomonas sp. EHRENBERG1838 name
Chroomonas sp. HANSGIRG1895
Euglenophyeeae
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L. pondweed emergent
Euglena sp. EHRENBERG1830 SchoenopIectus tatora (KNUTH) totora emergent
DALLA
Chlorocoeeales Azolla sp. LAMARCK fern floating
Seenedesmus linearis KOM. 1974 Lemna polyrrhiza L. duck weed floating
Ankyrajudayi (G. M. SMITH)FOTT 1957 Eichhornia crassipes MART. water hyacinth floating
Pediastrum boryanum var. boryanum (TURK) MENEGH. CeratophyIlum demersum L. hornwort or submergent
Lagerheimia sp. CHODAT1895 coontail
Oocystis marsonii LEMM. 1898 Myriophyllum quitense GAUDICH milfoil submergent
Oocystis naegelii A. BR. 1855 (= M. elatinoides)
Nephrocytium schilleri (KAMM.)COMAS1980 Potamogeton illinoensis MORONG. pondweed submergent
NeglecteIla sp. VODENICAROV& BENDERLIEV1971 Potamogeton pusillus L. pondweed submergent
Planktosphaeria geIatinosa G. M. SMITH1918 Potamogeton striatus RuIz & PAVON pondweed submergent
Peridiniales Elodea matthewsii (PLANCH.) pondweed submergent
Peridinium sp. E•RENBERG 1838 ST. JOHN
Conjugatophyeeae
Cosmarium sp. CORDAex RALFS1848
ear&, Oocystis naegelii and a species resembling Plank-
Diatomeae
tosphaeria gelatinosa. Among the diatoms is Aulacoseira
Aulacoseira granulata (EHRENBERG)SIMONSEN1979
granulata which is very abundant. No significant numbers of
Fragilaria ulna (N~TZSCH)LANGE-BERTALOT1980 vaT. ulna
(sensu lato) blue-green algae have yet been recorded (Table 2).
Nitzschia sp. HASSALL1845 nom. cons. In 1998 the algal biomass was relatively low, and the
Cocconeis sp. EHRENBERG1838 mean chlorophyll a concentration in the epilimnic zone was
5.5 #g 1 ~ with a maximum of 14.5 #g 1-1, recorded in 1994.
This indicates that the biomass of phytoplankton is relatively
are significantly higher with up to 1.7 • 105 cells per 100 ml low. The maximum chlorophyll a concentration of 15 #g 1q
for both, the total and the faecal coli counts, the mean values is characteristic of mesotrophic lakes, according to the
were 18,000 per 100 ml and 16,000 per 100 ml, respectively. OECD classification of temperate lakes (OECD 1982). In
The phytoplankton is dominated by green algae and a fila- 1998, low abundance of algae was also recorded with cell
mentous diatom. The green algae include Scenedesmus lin- number of < 10,000 per ml.

• Macrophytes
In Lake San Pablo, submergent
distancefrom shore[m] macrophytes grow intensively in
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 the littoral zone up to a depth of
7.7 m except near the inflow. The

ot
1

2
macrophytes build up a large bio-
mass and cover nearly 100% of
the littoral zone up to a depth of
3 to 7 m (< 4% of the lake area).
The dominant submerged macro-
phytes are the hornwort or coon-
x::: 4 .
tail, Ceratophyllum demersum,
5 Ceratophyllumdemersum / Potamogetonstriatus the milfoil, Myriophyllum qui-
tense, and two species of pond-
6 weed, Potamogeton illinoensis
and Potamogeton striatus (Fig. 7,
7
Table 3).
Floating macrophytes, mainly
the water hyacinth, Eichhornia
Fig. 7. Schematic profile of macrophyte distribution in Lake San Pablo during 1996. crassipes, are found only in small

118 Limnologica 30 (2000) 2

Table 4. The classification of the trophic states of lakes using the OECD system and applying the data from Lake San Pablo during the over-
turn period in 1994. The epilimnic data during the overturn in 1994 were obtained by the Subsecretaria de Saneamiento, Quito.

Classification according to OECD system San Pablo Lake

Parameter Oligotrophic Mesotrophic Eutrophic

P total, mean (pg/1) 8.0 26.7 84.4 360

SD 4.9-13.3 14.5-49 38-189
N total, mean (rag/l) 0.66 0.75 1.87 1.59
SD 0.37-1.18 0.49-1.17 0.86-4.08
Chlorophyll a, mean (pg/1) 1.7 4.7 14.3 5.5
SD 0.8-3.4 3.0-7.4 6.7-31
Chlorophyll a, max. (~g/1) 4.2 16.1 42.6 14.5
SD 2.6-7.6 8.9-29 16.9-107
secchi depth, mean (m) 9.9 4.2 2.45 -3
SD 5.9-16.5 2.4-7.4 1.5-4.0

littoral areas, and the amount of the lake they cover is in- directly into the lake. Using OECD criteria for lake eutrophi-
significant. cation, Lake San Pablo must be classified as a eutrophic lake
because of its concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen. Its
• Zooplankton phytoplankton biomass however is typical of a mesotrophic
The diversity of the zooplankton is low, and only one daph- water body (Table 4). The reason for the decrease in phyto-
nid is known (Daphnia pulex) but this is dominant in the plankton development is not known, but not only food web ef-
lake. Besides a copepod, Metacyclops mendocinus was fects, but also a toxic inhibition by the UV-radiation must be
found. The abundance of the zooplanktonic organisms is considered. Actually, it is not possible to evaluate the trophic
low, amounting to < 20 ind. per litre Daphnia pulex and level of the lake, and additional information is needed to de-
< 6 ind. per litre Metacyclops mendocinus, recorded in 1998. termine the eutrophication processes. Therefore, the mixing
Besides these relatively large zooplankton species, a few processes in the epi- and hypolimnion must be quantified, and
rotifers occur, including Keratella quadrata, Keratella tro- the internal loading of phosphorus is of great significance.
pica tropica, Trichocerca cylindrica-chattoni and Trichocer- The first investigations on the fauna and flora in Lake San
ca sp. However, their abundance is also low at about 25 ro- Pablo confirm the assumption, that the colonisation of high
tifers per litre. Andean lakes was obstructed. The Andean equatorial lakes
are isolated in the tropical area, and few species arrived via
• Fishes the southern part of South America. This results in low diver-
No investigations on the fish populations have yet been car- sity of the fauna and flora, as found during our first investi-
ried out. In many lakes in the Andes the rainbow trout, On- gations. Other species occurring in the lake are common and
corhynchus mykiss, has been introduced. Residents near the have been widely distributed by man; examples include the
lake reported that this fish was also very abundant in Lake hornwort, milfoil, pondweed, trout and bass. We still have
San Pablo in the past. Today the bass, Micropterus salmoi- not found any indication of a succession to a climax state in
des, as well as a cyprinid, Carassius carassius x C. auratus, the ecosystem or a niche development for the species as well
are the predominant fishes in the lake. Other species were as a high diversity.
not yet registered in the lake.
Acknowledgements: I want to thank the staff of the Subsecre-
taria Saneamiento, Quito, especially their Engineer EDUARDOESPIN,
5. Discussion for cooperating with the research and submitting all of their data on
Lake San Pablo, as well as the Escuela Politecnica National de Quito
Lake San Pablo is loaded with a high input of nutrients, which and the Engineer CESARNARVAEZ,for cooperation and support of the
brought about a eutrophication of the lake. This has limited limnological investigations on the lake.
The actual investigations were completed through the assistance
the uses of the water as well as impairing the ecosystem. In
of BENJAMINKIRSCH,RALFMOHLECK,Dipl. Biol. MARENADLER,
Lake San Pablo an increasing rate of decomposition led to a
Dipl. Biol. CAMILLABEULKERand Dipl. Biol. JORGECASALLAS.
decrease in the oxygen concentration in the hypolimnion, and The project was financed from 1997-2001 by the German Soci-
the sediments became anaerobic. In addition, the number of ety of Science (DFG) and the Ministry of Economic Cooperation
coliform bacteria is very high, due to the input of wastewater (BMZ)/German Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

Limnologica 30 (2000) 2 119

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