[Community Structure Characteristics of Diatom in Reservoirs Located in the South of Jiangsu Province, China and Its Control Factors]

Abstract

In order to understand the community structure characteristics of Bacillariophyta and its controlling factors in reservoirs located in the Southeast, China, in the geographic background of hills landscape and humid climate, 18 reservoirs were investigated in June, 2015, during the period with high risk of diatom bloom, covering water quality, and the community structures of phytoplankton. The correlations between Bacillariophyta and other planktons with nutrients, water depth, storage capacity, etc. were analyzed. The results showed that, 10 reservoirs reached the light extent of diatom bloom ( density between 100 x 10⁴-1,000 x 10⁴ cells · L⁻¹ reservoirs in this area were generally in mesotrophic or eutrophic state with considerably high total nitrogen concentrations; total phosphorus and trophic level index were both closely correlated with Bacillariophyta biomass. Phormidium in Cyanophyta was the dominating generus among phytoplankton in terms of density; with respect to biomass, Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta were the top three phylum, and Bacillariophyta accounted for 46. 8% of the total phytoplankton biomass, becoming the most important one resulting in abnormal propagation of algae; Synedra (51.5%) and Cyclotella (21.4%) were the main dominating genera in Bacillariophyta, together with Achnanthes and Melosira. Deep water was favored by Bacillariophyta to dominate among different phyla. Larger ratio between catchment and reservoir storage capacity, on the other hand, caused the increase of trophic level and chlorophyll, and benefited the shift of dominating phytoplankton from Bacillariophyta to Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta, by which, the risk of algae bloom would be increased. It reveals that to alleviate the risk of algae bloom and protect drinking water resources, catchment management is crucial for the studied reservoirs. And the establishment of nutrient reduction strategies needs to consider the features of each individual reservoir, i. e. water depth, ratio between catchment and capacity.