Paleolimnological analysis of Ullswater using testate amoebae

Tests of testate amoebae extracted from samples of bottom sediments from 33 tarns in the English Lake District reveal a relationship between their distribution and physical-chemical parameters of the tarn waters.Nebela and several species ofDifflugia appear to prefer more acidic conditions, i.e., pH less than 6.2, while others such asCentropyxis, Lesquereusia and some species ofCyclopyxis andDifflugia are more common in lakes with pH's above that value.Using these data, and inferring rates of sedimentation from the densities of tests found in a 6-m core, a paleolimnological history for the past 11 000 years is presented for Ullswater (English Lake District). The record of testate amoebae, beginning shortly after deglaciation, depicts an uneven increase in acidity and a history of episodes of rapid and slow deposition that correlate reasonably well with paleoclimatological changes and anthropogenic alterations in the catchment.