[Spatial distributions and environmental control of diatom functional groups in sediments of Haixi Lake, Southwest China.].

Functional group classification based on the morphological, physiological and ecological characteristics of diatoms is advanced in describing the tolerance and sensibility of diatoms to environmental stressors. In this study, we examined the spatial distribution of diatom functional groups in surface sediments of Haixi Lake and explored the relationships between diatom distributions and environmental variables using multivariate analyses. Principal components analysis (PCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) results showed that water depth and total nitrogen (TN) were the key drivers for the heterogeneous distribution of diatom functional groups.

[Spatial distribution of cladoceran assemblages in surface sediments of shallow lakes in Yunnan.].

Shallow lakes, sensitive to environmental changes due to low environmental carrying capacity, generally experience decreases in ecosystem function and even regime shifts after over-exploitation. Surface sediments of 18 shallow lakes in Yunnan were collected and analyzed to identify the spatial pattern and the influencing factors of cladoceran communities. The results showed that there was significant heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of cladocera in those lakes.

[Spatio-temporal Variations of Diatom Community and Their Relationship with Water Environment in Fuxian Lake].

Fuxian Lake is an important deep lake in China with trophic status generally categorized as class I. However, there exists a trend of degradation in its ecological and environmental health under the increasing impacts derived from catchment development and recent global warming. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the community composition, distribution patterns, and driving factors of lake biota.

[Identification of the long-term patterns of catchment development and diatom community changes in Xihu Lake, Dali, Yunnan, China].

Limnological studies have long focused on the nine largest plateau lakes and ecological assessment of lake eutrophication in Yunnan. However, comprehensive surveys of small and me-dium-sized lakes and their response to multiple stressors are largely absent. Here, we combined multi-proxy sediment analyses and documentary data, aiming to identify the long-term pattern of diatom community changes under the influence of climate change and anthropogenic disturbances, and to quantify their driving strengths.