STUDY OF TROPHIC STATE INDICATORS OF TIRANA ARTIFICIAL LAKE, ALBANIA

The trophic state of a freshwater ecosystem reflects its environmental quality. This is why several trophic indicators have been developed for such water bodies based on chemical, physical and biological parameters. In accordance to the above, the present study is an attempt to assess the trophic condition of the artificial lake in Tirana through the investigation of the physicochemical parameters along with the biotic indicators. The magnitude and management implications of spatial variability in trophic state metrics was simulated by measuring mean values of dissolved phosphorus, ammonium, nitrate and nitrite nitrogen and chlorophyll a,b,c, during the period winter-spring of 2013 and detecting trends in these variables in Tirana Lake water. Results emphasize the need for long-term data to fulfill lake management needs and suggest that ordinary lake monitoring typically will not detect trends in individual lakes.