Secondary nitrogen limitation in a subtropical lake impacted by non-point source agricultural pollution

A 20-year history of nutrient limitation was quantified for Lake Okeechobee, a nutrient-impacted lake in Florida, USA. Limiting status (nitrogen versus phosphorus) was estimated from deviations between trophic state index (TSI) parameters, calculated from routine monitoring data. The lake is presently nitrogen-limited. However, historical trends in the TSI deviations indicate that contemporary nitrogen limitation is a secondary, unnatural condition that has arisen due to excessive phosphorus loading. Prior to 1980, there was evidence of lake-wide limitation by phosphorus, rather than nitrogen. The finding of secondary nitrogen limitation in Lake Okeechobee has important management implications. Phosphorus loads are presently being reduced in order to reduce in-lake concentrations and create phosphorus-limited conditions (nitrogen limitation is undersirable because it has favored bloom-forming cyanobacteria). The present results indicate that this long-term management goal is ecologically sound; it is consistent with the concept of restoration of the lake.