Relationships between sedimentary diatom assemblages and lakewater pH values in the Experimental Lakes Area

Relationships between sedimentary diatom assemblages and lakewater pH values from 36 lakes and experimentally acidified Lake 223, in the Experimental Lakes Area, were analyzed. The relationships were used to assign diatoms in the 36 lakes into pH preference groupings. Based on their regional distribution Cyclotella stelligera and Tabellaria flocculosa strain IIIp were categorized as pH indifferent, in comparison to other areas were they have been categorized as acidophilic. Two models were then applied to calculate transfer coefficients which were used to calculate diatom-inferred pH values for Lake 223. Index B and a multiple linear regression of the pH groupings yielded similar correlations (r² 0.82 and 0.84 respectively, p=0.0001). The multiple linear regression inferred a pH of 5.36 for acidified Lake 223 compared to a measured pH of 5.46.