The effects of liming on microbial activity and the decomposition of organic material

Liming of lakes and watercourses produces drastic changes in water chemistry which can be expected to affect the decomposition of organic material by influencing the density and activity of micro-organisms and detritivorous invertebrates.Lake liming involves a short and sudden decrease in microbial activity, a “liming shock”. Seen in the longer term, it can indirectly cause an increase in microbial activity and better processing of organic material if access to dead organic material improves either as a result of increased primary production or through greater availability of the accumulated organic material.The decomposition of coarse detritus in the littoral zone of lakes and running waters is dependent upon the number and activity of detritivorous invertebrates. In most cases, the number of shredders also increases after liming, leading to faster decomposition of leaves and other coarse detritus and thus more rapid breakdown.