In situ pelagic dataset from continuous monitoring: A mesocosm experiment in Lake Geneva (MESOLAC)

Viet Tran-Khac; Philippe Quetin; Isabelle Domaizon; Stéphan Jacquet; Laurent Espinat; Clémentine Gallot; Serena Rasconi

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2020.106255

In situ pelagic dataset from continuous monitoring: A mesocosm experiment in Lake Geneva (MESOLAC)

Data Brief. 2020 Sep 1:32:106255. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106255. eCollection 2020 Oct.

Authors

Viet Tran-Khac¹, Philippe Quetin¹, Isabelle Domaizon¹, Stéphan Jacquet¹, Laurent Espinat¹, Clémentine Gallot¹, Serena Rasconi¹

Affiliation

¹ Université Savoie Mont Blanc, INRAE, CARRTEL, 74200 Thonon les Bains, France.

Abstract

This dataset corresponds to a data series produced from automated data loggers during the MESOLAC experimental project. Nine pelagic mesocosms (about 3000 L, 3 m depth) were deployed in July 2019 in Lake Geneva near the shore of Thonon les Bains (France), simulating predicted climate scenarios (i.e. intense weather events) by applying a combination of forcing. The design consisted of three treatments each replicated three times: a control treatment (named C - no treatment applied) and two different treatments simulating different intensities of weather events. The high intensity treatment (named H) aimed to reproduce short and intense weather events such as violent storms. It consisted of a short-term stress applied during the first week, with high pulse of dissolved organic carbon (5x increased concentration, i.e. total DOC ∼ 6 mg L^-1), transmitted light reduced to 15% and water column manual mixing. The medium intensity treatment (named M) simulated less intense and more prolonged exposures such as during flood events. It was maintained during the 4 weeks of the experiment and consisted of 1.5x increased concentration of dissolved organic carbon (i.e. total DOC ∼ 2 mg L^-1), 70% transmitted light and water column manual mixing. Automated data loggers were placed for the entire period of the experiment in the mesocosms and in the lake for comparison with natural conditions. Temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and CO₂ were monitored every 15 min at different depths (0.15, 0.25, 1 and 2 m). This data set aims to contribute our understanding of the effect of environmental forcing on lake ecosystem processes (such as production, respiration and CO₂ exchange) under simulated intense weather events and the ability of the planktonic community to recover after perturbation. To a broader extent, the presented data can be used for a wide variety of applications, including monitoring of lake community functioning during a period of high productivity on a large peri-alpine lake and being included in further meta-analysis aiming at generalising the effect of climate change on large lakes.

Keywords: Automated data loggers; Climate change; Ecosystem functioning; Experimental ecology; Large peri-alpine lakes.