Algae functional group characteristics in reservoirs and lakes with different trophic levels in northwestern semi-humid and semi-arid regions in China

Abstract

In order to study the differences in algae species and their biomass in water bodies in a region, three reservoirs and two lakes at the center of Guanzhong Plain were chosen to identify algae functional groups, measure biomass, and assess water quality, from January 2013 to December 2014. The water bodies represented different trophic levels: one oligotrophic, three mesotrophic, and one eutrophic. Based on the Reynolds' functional groups, they had 10 groups in common—B, P, D, X1, M, MP, F, S1, J, and G, but the algae biomasses and proportions were different. In the oligotrophic reservoir, functional group B reached a peak biomass of 576×104L−1, which accounted for 31.27%. In the eutrophic lake, functional group D reached a peak biomass of 3227×104L−1, which accounted for only 13.38%. When samples collected from other water bodies with similar trophic levels were compared, we found differences in the algae species functional groups. The potential reasons for the differences in algae functional group characteristics in the different water bodies in the region were water temperature and nutritional states.