Diatom Paleolimnological Record of Holocene Climatic and Environmental Change in the Altai Mountains, Siberia

The sedimentary diatom records of three shallow lakes in the Altai Mountains, southern Siberia, were examined to assess the nature and timing of Holocene environmental changes. Few paleoenvironmental records, especially reconstructions not based on pollen, have been reported from this region. The lakes differ in elevation, annual precipitation, and catchment vegetation. Diatom assemblages in all lakes were dominated for the entire period of record by small benthic species of Pseudostaurosira Williams & Round, Staurosira Ehrenberg, and Staurosirella Williams & Round. Planktonic taxa only occur in very low abundances (<5%). The most diverse diatom flora was found in Dzhangyskol, which is situated at the lowest elevation within a forested catchment. A lack of detailed information on the ecological preferences of the dominant taxa and the complexity of environmental drivers make direct interpretation of the diatom record difficult. However, other proxies suggest that dramatic shifts in dominance between Staurosira elliptica and Staurosirella pinnata in Grusha Ozero reflect millennial-scale variability in climate. Together, chironomids and diatoms provide evidence of a cooling possibly correlative to the Younger Dryas Stade and subsequent early-Holocene warming consistent with pollen evidence of afforestation, which also is likely linked to increased humidity. By ~6000 cal year BP, the transition to a cooler, more continental climate had begun. The diatom record of Akkol shows significantly less variation in diatom community composition, but biogenic silica accumulation rates, a proxy for diatom productivity, appear to reflect climatic variability driven by insolation trends over the past 8000 years. Long-term variability in Dzhangyskol is not clearly linked to climate.     

A combined paleolimnological/genetic analysis of diatoms reveals divergent evolutionary lineages of Staurosira and Staurosirella (Bacillariophyta) in Siberian lake sediments along a latitudinal transect

Diatom diversity in lakes of northwest Yakutia (Siberia) was investigated by microscopic and genetic analysis of surface and cored lake sediments, to evaluate the use of sedimentary DNA for paleolimnological diatom studies and to identify obscure genetic diversity that cannot be detected by microscopic methods. Two short (76 and 73 bp) and one longer (577 bp) fragments of the ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) gene, encoding the large subunit of the rbcL, were used as genetic markers. Diverse morphological assemblages of diatoms, dominated by small benthic fragilarioid taxa, were retrieved from the sediments of each lake. These minute fragilarioid taxa were examined by scanning electron microscopy, revealing diverse morphotypes in Staurosira and Staurosirella from the different lakes. Genetic analyses indicated a dominance of haplotypes that were assigned to fragilarioid taxa and less genetic diversity in other diatom taxa. The long rbcL_577 amplicon identified considerable diversification among haplotypes clustering within the Staurosira/Staurosirella genera, revealing 19 different haplotypes whose spatial distribution appears to be primarily related to the latitude of the lakes, which corresponds to a vegetation and climate gradient. Our rbcL markers are valuable tools for tracking differences between diatom lineages that are not visible in their morphologies. These markers revealed putatively high genetic diversity within the Staurosira/Staurosirella species complex, at a finer scale than is possible to resolve by microscopic determination. The rbcL markers may provide additional reliable information on the diversity of barely distinguishable minute benthic fragilarioids. Environmental sequencing may thus allow the tracking of spatial and temporal diversification in Siberian lakes, especially in the context of diatom responses to recent environmental changes, which remains a matter of controversy.     

Responses of Fragilarioid-dominated diatom assemblages in a small Arctic lake to Holocene climatic changes, Russell Island, Nunavut, Canada

We present a paleolimnological record spanning the Holocene from a small lake on Russell Island (Lake PW02), in the central Canadian Arctic Archipelago (74.07° N, 97.77° W, 182 m asl). Fragilarioid diatom types in the genera Pseudostaurosira, Staurosira and Staurosirella constitute >90% of valves in fossil samples. Using modern biogeographic data which specify the temperature optima of the Fragilarioid diatom taxa, we present new inferences about the timing of paleoclimatic changes in the central Arctic islands. The early Holocene was characterized by maximum values for sediment organic matter, and lower ratios of Staurosirella pinnata to Staurosira construens v. venter, suggesting warm summer air temperatures between about 9500−6500 cal year BP. Influxes of biogenic silica and diatom valves decreased following 4000 cal year BP, the sediment accumulation rate slowed and diatom taxa of the littoral zone diversified, suggesting cooler summers and more persistent lake ice. Variations in the species composition of the assemblages indicate paleoclimatic changes that are in broad agreement with other paleoenvironmental records from the Arctic including melt records from the Agassiz Ice Cap. Although autecological data remain incomplete for Fragilarioid taxa, our results indicate differences in these taxa in responses to paleoenvironmental change and underline the potential for the increased use of these taxa in paleoenvironmental reconstructions. The record from Lake PW02, as in other records from Arctic lakes with low algal diversity throughout the Holocene, shows a pronounced increase in diatom diversity since the 1920s, and diatom production since the 1970s far exceeds any recorded during the Holocene.     

Variability of diatom-inferred phosphorus profiles in a small lake basin and its implications for histories of lake eutrophication

Diatom analyses were undertaken of sediment cores covering a range of water depths in a small eutrophic lake (Lough Augher, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland). The significance of between-core variability in diatom relative frequency stratigraphy was assessed by Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) where the ordination axes were constrained to external environmental variables (sediment depth, core location coordinates, water depth, effective fetch, distance-from-shore and distance-from-inflow). After the removal of the effect of sediment age by partialling it out, the resultant first two axes from the partial-CCA were significantly correlated with water depth and distance-from-shore, indicating non-uniform diatom stratigraphies across the lake. Despite this variability, all cores show the same succession of species and, therefore, record the eutrophication of the lake. Diatom-inferred total phosphorus (DI-TP) was inferred for six cores using weighted averaging regression and calibration. Apart from considerable differences of DI-TP in surficial sediment samples, there was good between-core repeatability of DI-TP profiles. These data support the use of DI-TP for establishing background nutrient concentrations for lakes, and associated implications for lake restoration schemes using single cores. Comparisons of DI-TP profiles and total diatom accumulation rate data for the individual cores indicate that diatom production peaked prior to the maximum TP concentrations in the lake.     

Defining ecological and chemical reference conditions and restoration targets for nine European lakes

This paper aims to determine the ecological and chemical reference conditions (~1800?C1850 AD) and degree of floristic change at nine enriched lakes, covering a range of types across Europe, using fossil diatom assemblages in dated sediment cores and application of total phosphorus (TP) transfer functions. Additionally the study assesses the potential of analogue matching as a technique for identifying reference sites and for estimating reference TP concentrations for the study lakes using a training set of 347 European lakes and 719 diatom taxa. Oligotrophic, acidophilous to circumneutral taxa were predominant in the reference samples of several of the deep lakes, and benthic Fragilaria spp. dominated the reference samples of two high alkalinity shallow lakes. The degree of floristic change from the reference sample, assessed using the squared chord distance (SCD) dissimilarity coefficient, revealed that two sites had experienced slight change (Lago Maggiore, Felbrigg Lake), five experienced moderate change (Mjoesa, Loch Davan, Loch Leven, White Lough, Esthwaite Water), and two showed evidence of major change (Groby Pool, Piburger See). For three lakes, there were no analogues in the diatom dataset owing to the uniqueness and diversity of the diatom reference assemblages. For the remaining six sites the number of analogues ranged from 2 to 44. For two deep lakes most of the analogues seemed appropriate as they were of the same type and had low TP concentrations. However, for two other deep lakes and two shallow lakes some of the analogues differed markedly in their depth and alkalinity from the lake in question or had TP concentrations seemingly too high to represent reference conditions suggesting that the analogues may not be suitable as reference sites. For the deep lakes, similar reference TP values were calculated using the EDDI Combined TP transfer function and the analogue matching technique with concentrations typically <20 ??g L^?1. However, for the shallow lakes, the analogue matching method produced inferred values considerably higher than those of the transfer function. The wide ecological tolerances of many of the diatom taxa found in the reference samples most likely explain the selection of inappropriate analogue sites. In summary, the study demonstrates that palaeoecological techniques can play a valuable role in determining reference conditions and indicates that the analogue matching technique has the potential to be a useful tool for identifying appropriate reference sites for lakes impacted by eutrophication.     

Assessing the performance of a diatom transfer function on four Minnesota lake sediment cores: effects of training set size and sample age

Paleolimnological information is often extracted from diatom records using weighted averaging calibration and regression techniques. Larger calibration sample sets yield better inferences because they better characterize the environmental characteristics and species assemblages of the sample region. To optimize inferred information from fossil assemblages, however, it is worth knowing if fewer calibration samples can be used. Furthermore, confidence in environmental reconstructions is greater if we consider the relative importance of (A) similarity between fossil and calibration assemblages and (B) how well fossil taxa respond to the environmental variable of interest. We examine these issues using ~200-year sediment profiles from four Minnesota lakes and a 145-lake surface sediment training set calibrated for total phosphorus (TP). Training set sample sizes ranging from 10 to 145 were created through random sample selection, and models based on these training sets were used to calculate diatom-inferred (DI) TP data from fossil samples. Relationships between DI-TP variability and sample size were used to determine the minimum sample size needed to optimize the model for paleo-reconstruction. Similarly, similarities between fossil and modern assemblages were calculated for each size training set. Finally, fossil and modern assemblages were compared to determine whether older fossil samples had poorer similarity with modern analogs. More than 50–80 samples, depending on lake, were needed to stabilize variability in DI-TP results, and >110 training set samples were needed to minimize modern-fossil assemblage dissimilarities. Dissimilarities appeared to increase with sample age, but only one of the four studied cores displayed a significant trend. We have two recommendations for future studies: (1) be cautious when dealing with smaller training sets, especially if they are used to interpret older fossil assemblages and (2) understand how well fossil taxa are attuned to the variable of interest, as it is critical to evaluating the quality of the diatom-inferred data.     

Reconstructing epilimnetic total phosphorus using diatoms: statistical and ecological constraints

Diatoms respond rapidly to eutrophication and diatom-based models for inferring total phosphorus (TP) have found wide application in palaeolimnology, especially in tracking trajectories of past and recent nutrient enrichment and in establishing pre-disturbance targets for restoration. Using new analysis of existing training sets and sediment-cores we examine the statistical and ecological constraints of diatom-inferred TP (DI-TP) models. Although the models show an apparently strong relationship between measured and inferred TP in the training sets, even under cross-validation, the models display three fundamental weaknesses, namely (1) the relationship between TP and diatom relative abundance is heavily confounded with secondary variables such as alkalinity and lake depth, (2) the models contain many taxa that are not significantly related to TP, and (3) comparison between different models shows poor or no spatial replicability. At some sites the sediment-core diatom assemblage change tracks the TP gradient in the training sets and DI-TP reconstructions are consistent with monitored TP data and known catchment histories for the recent past. At others diatom species turnover is apparently related to variables other than TP, and DI-TP fails to even reproduce plausible trends. Pre-disturbance DI-TP values are also questionable at most sites. We argue that these problems pervade many DI-TP models, particularly those where violations of the basic assumptions of the transfer function approach are ignored.     

Tracking eutrophication in Taihu Lake using the diatom record: potential and problems

Taihu Lake is the third largest freshwater lake in China and has been experiencing eutrophication problems for several decades. Diatoms in short sediment cores from three bays in northern Taihu Lake were studied in addition to 1-year of seasonal phytoplankton samples in order to evaluate the rate and magnitude of nutrient enrichment. The dominant species found in the phytoplankton samples appeared in high percentages in the surface sediment samples, suggesting that the latter faithfully record the modern diatom flora. The diatom preservation status varied among the three cores, while in all cores the preservation deteriorated with sediment depth. Due to the superior diatom preservation in the core from Mashan Bay, the fossil diatom record of this core and an established diatom total phosphorus (TP) transfer function were used to reconstruct the nutrient history of Taihu Lake. Diatom assemblages changed from Aulacoseira-dominated to other eutrophic planktonic species, such as Stephanodiscus minutulus, Cyclostephanos tholiformis, Cyclotella atomus, C. meneghiniana and S. hantzschii in ca. 1980. Diatom-inferred TP concentrations exhibited little change prior to 1980, with values around 50 μg/l. However, after 1980 TP concentrations increased significantly and remained in excess of 100 μg/l, reflecting eutrophication of Taihu Lake. Comparison with TP measurements in the water column from 1988 to 2004, as well as the analogue analysis among fossil and modern samples, demonstrates that the diatom-TP inference model can reliably hindcast past TP concentrations. Therefore, the baseline TP value of about 50 μg/l, can be used as a restoration target for Taihu Lake. However, due to the complexity of this very large, shallow aquatic ecosystem, caution should be exercised when employing the diatom record to track eutrophication. Further studies on the mechanism of diatom distribution, evolution and preservation are recommended for Taihu Lake.     

An expanded weighted-averaging model for inferring past total phosphorus concentrations from diatom assemblages in eutrophic British Columbia (Canada) lakes

Eighteen lakes were added to a published training set of 46 British Columbia (BC) lakes in order to expand the original range of total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to analyze the relationship between diatom assemblages and environmental variables. Specific conductivity and [TP] each explained significant (P0.05) directions of variance in the distribution of the diatoms. The relationship between diatom assemblages and [TP] was sufficiently strong to warrant the development of a weighted-averaging (WA) regression and calibration model that can be used to infer past trophic status from fossil diatom assemblages.The relationship between observed and inferred [TP] was not improved by the addition of more eutrophic lakes, however the [TP] range and the number of taxa used in the transfer function are now superior to the original model. Diatom species assemblages changed very little in lakes with TP concentrations greater than 85 µg 1^–1, so we document the development of a model containing lakes with TP85 µg 1^–1. The updated model uses 59 training lakes and covers a range of species optima from 6 to 41.9 µg 1^–1 TP, and a total of 150 diatom taxa.The updated inference model provided a more realistic reconstruction of the anthropogenic history of a highly eutrophic BC lake. The model can now be used to infer past nutrient conditions in other BC lakes in order to assess changes in trophic status.     

The use of diatom records to establish reference conditions for UK lakes subject to eutrophication

A knowledge of pre-disturbance conditions is important for setting realistic restoration targets for lakes. For European waters this is now a requirement of the European Council Water Framework Directive where ecological status must be assessed based on the degree to which present day conditions deviate from reference conditions. Here, we employ palaeolimnological techniques, principally inferences of total phosphorus from diatom assemblages (DI-TP) and classification of diatom composition data from the time slice in sediment cores dated to ~1850 AD, to define chemical and ecological reference conditions, respectively, for a range of UK lake types. The DI-TP results from 169 sites indicate that reference TP values for low alkalinity lakes are typically <10 μg L⁻¹ and in many cases <5 μg L⁻¹, whilst those for medium and high alkalinity lakes are in the range 10–30 and 20–40 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Within the latter two alkalinity types, the deeper waters (>3 m mean depth) generally had lower reference TP concentrations than the shallow sites. A small group of shallow marl lakes had concentrations of ~30 μg L⁻¹. Cluster analysis of diatom composition data from 106 lakes where the key pressure of interest was eutrophication identified three clusters, each associated with particular lake types, suggesting that the typology has ecological relevance, although poor cross matching of the diatom groups and the lake typology at type boundaries highlights the value of a site-specific approach to defining reference conditions. Finally the floristic difference between the reference and present day (surface sample) diatom assemblages of each site was estimated using the squared chord distance dissimilarity coefficient. Only 25 of the 106 lakes experienced insignificant change and the findings indicate that eutrophication has impacted all lake types with >50% of sites exhibiting significant floristic change. The study illustrates the role of the sediment record in determining both chemical and ecological reference conditions, and assessing deviation from the latter. Whilst restoration targets may require modification in the future to account for climate induced alterations, the long temporal perspective offered by palaeolimnology ensures that such changes are assessed against a sound baseline.     

Diatom-based total phosphorus (TP) and pH transfer functions for the Irish Ecoregion

A 72-lake diatom training set was developed for the Irish Ecoregion to examine the response of surface sediment diatom assemblages to measured environmental variables. A variety of multivariate data analyses was used to investigate environmental and biological data structure and their inter-relationships. Of the variables used in determining a typology for lakes in the Irish Ecoregion, alkalinity was the only one found to have a significant effect on diatom assemblages. A total of 602 diatom taxa were identified, with 233 recorded at three or more sites with abundances ≥1%. Generally diatom data displayed a high degree of heterogeneity at the species level and non-linear ecological responses. Both pH and total phosphorus (TP) (in the ranges of 5.1–8.5 and 4.0–142.3 μg l⁻¹ respectively) were shown to be the most significant variables in determining the surface sediment diatom assemblages. The calibration models for pH and TP were developed using the weighted averaging (WA) method; data manipulation showed strong influences on model performances. The optima WA models based on 70 lakes produced a jack-knifed coefficient of determination (r ² _jack) of 0.89 with a root mean squared error (RMSEP) of 0.32 for pH and r ² _jack of 0.74 and RMSEP of 0.21 (log₁₀ μg l⁻¹) for TP. Both models showed strong performances in comparison with existing models for Ireland and elsewhere. Application of the pH and TP transfer functions developed here will enable the generation of quantitative water quality data from the expanding number of palaeolimnological records available for the Irish Ecoregion, and thus facilitate the use of palaeolimnological approaches in the reconstruction of past lake water quality, ecological assessment and restoration.     

Diatom-environmental relationships in 64 alkaline southeastern Ontario (Canada) lakes: a diatom-based model for water quality reconstructions

Lake eutrophication is a problem in many areas of Ontario, although the history of nutrient enrichment is poorly documented. The aim of this study was to construct a diatom-based transfer function to infer past phosphorus levels in Ontario lakes using paleolimnological analyses. The relationship between diatom assemblages and limnological conditions was explored from a survey of diatoms preserved in the surface sediments of 64 Southern Ontario lakes, spanning a total phosphorus gradient of 0.004 to 0.054 mg L^-1. Over 420 diatom taxa were identified, 98 of which were sufficiently common to be considered in statistical analyses. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) determined that pH, ammonium, aluminum, spring total phosphorus (TP), strontium, total nitrogen (TN), maximum depth (MaxZ), chlorophyll a (Chla) and mean depth were significant variables in explaining the variance in the diatom species data. The environmental optima of common diatom taxa for the limnologically important variables (TP, pH, TN, MaxZ, Chla) were calculated using weighted averaging (WA) regression and calibration techniques, and transfer functions were generated. The diatom inference model for spring TP provided a robust reconstructive relationship (r² = 0.637; RMSE = 0.007 mg L^-1; r² _boot = 0.466; RMSE_boot = 0.010 mg L^-1). Other variables, including pH (r² = 0.702; RMSE = 0.208; r² _boot = 0.485; RMSE_boot = 0.234), TN (r² = 0.574; RMSE = 0.0899 mg L^-1; r² _boot = 0.380; RMSE_boot = 0.127 mg L^-1) and MaxZ (r² = 0.554; RMSE = 1.05 m; r² _boot = 0.380; RMSE_boot = 1.490 m), were also strong, indicating that they may also be reconstructed from fossil diatom communities. This study shows that it is possible to reliably infer lakewater TP and other limnological variables in alkaline Southern Ontario lakes using the WA technique. This method has the potential to aid rehabilitation programs, as it can provide water quality managers with the means to estimate pre-enrichment phosphorus concentrations and an indication of the onset and development of nutrient enrichment in a lake.     

WA-PLS diatom-based pH, TP and DOC inference models from 42 lakes in the Abitibi clay belt area (Québec, Canada)

The relationship between surficial sediment diatom species and measured environmental variables was explored in lakes from the Abitibi region of western Quebec. Diatom assemblages in 42 lakes were identified and their relationship with measured environmental variables was examined using multivariate statistical methods. Canonical correspondence analysis with forward selection and Monte Carlo permutation tests revealed that the three environmental variables pH, TP and DOC each accounted for statistically significant fractions of the variation in diatom taxa. A training set with 164 modern diatom taxa was used to derive transfer functions for lake-water pH, TP and DOC using weighted-averaging-partial-least-squares (WA-PLS) techniques. The models were developed to infer lake water pH, TP and DOC within the ranges 4–8 for pH, 2.75–30.0 g l^–1 for TP, and 2.9–18.5 mg l^–1 for DOC. These quantitative inference models may now be used to help identify and estimate the effects of natural disturbances on the biogeochemistry of Abitibi lakes during their historical development.     

Quantitative inferences of past hypolimnetic anoxia and nutrient levels from a Canadan Precambrian Shield lake

Paleolimnological analyses were used to infer limnological changes during the past ~ 300 yrs in the west basin of Peninsula Lake, a small (853 ha) Precambrian Shield lake in Ontario, Canada, that has been subjected to moderate cultural disturbances (forest clearance, cottage and resort development). This study represents a pioneering attempt to use sedimentary chironomid assemblages and weighted-averaging models to quantify past hypolimnetic anoxia (expressed as the anoxic factor, AF). Impacts of forest clearance and human land-use on deepwater oxygen availability and surface water quality were assessed by comparing chironomid-inferred AF and diatom-inferred total phosphorus concentration ([TP]) to changes in terrestrial pollen and historical data. This study also discusses the ability of chironomids to quantitatively infer changes in AF.Pre-disturbance chironomid assemblages were stable and dominated by taxa indicative of oxygen-rich hypolimnetic conditions (e.g., Protanypus, Heterotrissocladius, Micropsectra type), while diatoms indicated oligotrophic lake status (diatom inferred [TP] = 5-7 g·l^-1). Chironomids characteristic of lower oxygen availability (e.g., Chironomus, Procladius) increased following land-clearance, road construction, establishment of a grist mill and lakeshore development beginning ca. 1870. Increased abundances of Tanytarsus s. lat., a multigeneric group of mainly littoral chironomids, since 1900, indicated that littoral chironomids may have comprised a greater proportion of fossil assemblages during periods of eutrophication and prolonged anoxia. Abundances of meso-eutrophic diatom taxa (e.g., Fragilaria crotonensis, Asterionella formosa, Aulacoseira ambigua, A. subarctica) increased concurrent with European settlement (ca. 1870) and diatom-inferred [TP] doubled (~ 6-12 g·l^-1), further indicating that naturally-oligotrophic Precambrian Shield lakes were extremely sensitive to initial land-clearance activities.Recent increases in oligotrophic diatom taxa (e.g., Cyclotella stelligera) indicate a shift to more oligotrophic conditions since ca. mid-1960s, with greatest changes since ca. 1980. The chironomids Heterotrissocladius and Micropsectra type also increased at this time suggesting greater deepwater oxygen availability. These recent water-quality improvements, possibly in response to enhanced nutrient removal from detergents and sewage, climate-related reductions in external phosphorus loads, and catchment (but not lake) acidification and reforestation, suggest that habitat for commercially-valuable cold-water fishes has improved in recent decades despite greater recreational lake-use.Paleolimnological assessment of trophic status changes in Peninsula Lake using fossil diatom and chironomid assemblages were in good agreement. Diatom inferences of [TP] and chironomid inferences of AF both suggest that Peninsula Lake was historically oligotrophic, became oligo-mesotrophic after European settlement, and returned to oligotrophy in recent yrs. Chironomid inferences of [TP] consistently underestimated the trophic status of Peninsula Lake, possibly due to its relatively large hypolimnion. These results suggest that AF represents a useful tool for quantitatively reconstructing the past trophic status of deeper, stratified lakes.     

Changes in diatom assemblages since pre-industrial times in 40 reference lakes from the Experimental Lakes Area (northwestern Ontario,Canada)

Diatom assemblages in recent versus pre-industrial sediments were examined in 40 relatively undisturbed lakes from the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA). The ELA region of northwestern Ontario receives low amounts of acidic deposition and the lakes have been minimally disturbed by watershed development or other human activities. Consequently, this region represents an important location to detect possible changes in lakes due to climate change. In over half of the lakes, planktonic taxa (especially Discostella stelligera) increased between 10 and 40% since pre-industrial times. Changes in diatom assemblages are consistent with taxa that would benefit from enhanced stratification and a longer ice-free season. We hypothesized that there should be a relationship between stratification and measured chemical and physical characteristics of the study lakes. Multiple correlation analysis was undertaken to see the relationship between planktonic taxa and D. stelligera since pre-industrial times and the physical and chemical characteristics of the study lakes. Lake depth was consistently identified as an important variable. The timing of the increase in planktonic taxa within cores from these lakes will be needed to rule out other possible regional changes that may also be occurring in the ELA region.     

Diatoms indicate that calcium decline,not acidification,explains recent cladoceran assemblage changes in south-central Ontario softwater lakes

In recent decades, softwater lakes across Canada have experienced a wide array of anthropogenic influences, with acidification and climate warming of particular concern. Here, we compare modern and pre-industrial sedimentary diatom assemblages from 36 softwater lakes located on the Canadian Shield in south-central Ontario to determine whether lake acidification or reduced calcium availability was the main stressor responsible for recent declines in Ca-sensitive cladoceran taxa. Regional surveys of south-central Ontario water chemistry have identified the pH recovery of many formerly acidified lakes, and our fossil diatom-inferred pH analyses indicate that modern lakewater pH in the 36 study lakes is similar to (or higher than) pre-industrial levels, with diatom assemblages from both time periods dominated by taxa with similar pH preferences. In addition, modern diatom assemblages compared to pre-industrial assemblages contained higher relative abundances of planktonic diatom taxa (e.g. Asterionella formosa and the Discostella stelligera complex) and lower relative abundances of heavily silicified diatoms (e.g. Aulacoseira taxa) and benthic fragilarioid taxa. These taxonomic shifts are consistent with warming-induced changes in lake properties including a longer ice-free period, decreased wind speed and/or increased thermal stability. We conclude that recent changes observed within the cladoceran assemblages of these lakes are not a response to acidification, but are likely a consequence of Ca declines. In addition, our data suggest that regional climate warming is now responsible for the diatom changes observed in this region.     

Use of sedimentary pigments to infer past phosphorus concentration in lakes

We propose a palaeolimnological method for inferring past total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in lake water from spectrophotometrically-measured sedimentary pigments, particularly total carotenoids (TC). Our approach is based on a highly significant statistical correlation (P < 0.0001) between pigment concentrations (total carotenoids) in the surface sediment of 28 Italian lakes (subalpine, large, deep, shallow, volcanic) and TP concentrations measured in these lakes at overturn when the core was collected. A transfer function was developed from this “training” set, and used to estimate past TP concentrations from pigment concentrations in sediment cores. The results generally agreed with TP values as measured by long-term water quality monitoring programs. Contrasting results were obtained by a comparison with diatom-inferred TP. While the diatom model showed a tendency to overestimate TP values higher than 100 μg l⁻¹, the pigment model correctly estimated TP in lakes when TP was <100 μg l⁻¹, but not when lakes were rich in macrophytes. In fact, lakes with extensive populations of aquatic submersed macrophytes and epiphytes are outliers in terms of the TC versus TP relationship. The root mean square error of prediction of the pigment model is lower than those derived from certain diatom—based inference models. The predicted and residual values are not related to the estimated values and their average is not statistically different from zero. Errors were estimated via a ‘leave-one-out’ re-sampling technique. The proposed method permits rapid and relatively inexpensive determination of reference trophic conditions.     

Distribution of diatom assemblages and their relationship to environmental variables in the surface sediments of three northern Egyptian lakes

Surficial sediments of three northern Egyptian lakes (Manzala, Burullus and Edku) show differences in diatom assemblages deposited in different sites of these lakes. A total of 172 species and varieties belonging to 58 genera were identified and counted from 62 samples. Of these, 163 diatom taxa were recorded from Manzala Lake sediments, 147 taxa were found in Burullus Lake sediments, and 117 taxa were identified in Edku Lake sediments. The considerable variation in the composition and distribution of the diatom assemblages among these lakes was mainly related to differences in the water quality, salinity, the concentration of nutrients and climatic changes. The planktonic diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana was dominant in the majority of the samples from Manzala Lake, but dominant in only a few samples from the middle parts of Burullus and Edku lakes. The non-planktonic epiphytic taxa Cocconeis placentula and Epithemia sorex were the subdominant species in the surface sediments, especially in shallow and marginal parts of the lakes. Multivariate statistical techniques (hierarchical ascending clustering and canonical correspondence analysis) were used to identify ecological groups of diatoms and to investigate which environmental variables were important in explaining the variation between these groups. Eight ecological groups containing distinctive diatom assemblages reflect current environmental conditions; especially saltwater intrusion in the north and nutrient-rich freshwater in the south.     

Diatom preservation in the recent sediment record of Spanish saline lakes: implications for palaeoclimate study

In palaeoclimate research, fossil diatoms from saline lakes can be excellent indicators of past salinity, a proxy for climate change, although they are sometimes poorly preserved in sediment cores. Spain has numerous salt lakes but the potential of diatoms for studies of climate change has never been investigated. A comprehensive survey of diatom preservation is described based on modern and fossil diatoms from short cores (<50 cm depth) in a representative data-set of 59 sites, and the main factors affecting preservation are investigated using principal components analysis (PCA). Most lakes do not preserve a diatom record; four sites in southern Spain are identified which both contain diatoms and have suitable limnological characteristics for a climate study. Many lakes are ephemeral and the physical effects of desiccation, coupled with other factors such as turbidity and high salinity, are the main factors enhancing diatom dissolution or their failure to be incorporated into the sediment record.     

Holocene diatom flora and stratigraphy from sediment cores of two Antarctic lakes (King George Island)

The diatom stratigraphy of Holocene sediment cores from two Antarctic lakes (Mondsee, Tiefersee; 62° 10 S/58° 50 W) of King George Island was investigated. The diatom assemblages were dominated by cosmopolitan species. The flora was composed of three main components: 1) taxa of submersed bryophytic habitats, which also occur in the bryophilic diatom flora of southern South America; 2) species of various terrestrial habitats, including some specific subantarctic taxa; 3) species distributed in coastal inland waters influenced by sea-spray.Changes in sediment pattern and diatom species composition seemed to reflect climatic changes. At least three different core sections were distinguished in both lakes: Two sections rich in mosses occur between approx. 7000–4700 B.P. and from 3200 B.P. to present, in general resembling present day conditions. In between is a section of high allochthonous content with generally low diatom concentrations and rising percentages of aerophilic, halophilic and alkaliphilic diatoms. An increase of melt water discharge, possible sea-spray influence, and lake- level fluctuations are discussed.Three new taxa are described: Achnanthes metakryophila nov. spec., Achnanthes renei nov. spec., Navicula australomediocris nov. spec. The taxonomy of selected taxa is discussed.