[Spatial distribution characteristics and ecological significance of alkaline phosphatase in water column of Taihu Lake].

Based on different ecological zone of Taihu Lake, alkaline phosphatase activity (APA), the kinetic parameters and the chemical parameters in water column from different zone of Taihu Lake were monitored, and the spatial distribution characteristics and the effects of environmental factors on the values of APA, Vmax and Km were studied. The results showed that the values of APA, Vmax and Km in water column from Taihu Lake had a spatial heterogeneous distribution. The spatial distribution characteristic of APA values was the same as that of Vmax, ones in water from different zones of Taihu Lake, namely, the maximal values of APA (9.43 +/- 5.30) nmol x (L x min)(-1) and Vmax (13.70 +/- 7.42) nmol x (L x min)(-1) occurred in water from estuary zone in western bank of Taihu Lake. The value distribution of APA and Vmax in other zone of Taihu Lake followed as: the central zone of Taihu Lake > the grass type zone of Taihu Lake > the Meiliang Bay zone of Taihu Lake > the Zhushan Bay zone of Taihu Lake > the Gonghu Bay zone of Taihu Lake. The value of Km from the grass type zone of Taihu Lake was the highest (20.50 +/- 11.30) micromol x L(-1) , and the one from estuary zone in western bank of Taihu Lake was the lowest (9.17 +/- 3.46) micromol x L(-1) The value of kinetic parameter Vmax was significantly positively correlated with the values of pH, total phosphorus (TP) and the chlorophyll a (Chla), with r(pH) = 0.6512** (p < 0.01), r(TP) = 0.4885** (p < 0.01) and r(Chla) = 0.7656** (p < 0.01), respectively. However, the effects of hydro-temperature, dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) and orthophosphorus (PO4(3-) -P) on Vmax values were negligible. There was no significant influence of the hydro-temperature, pH, DTP, PO4(3-)-P and Chla concentrations on the Km values, nevertheless significant negative relationship between the Km value and TP content was found with r = -0.3834* (p = 0.048).