Relationship between phytoplankton community structure and environmental factors in Yinchuan City water

Abstract

The freshwater ecosystem, formed through the interaction between biological communities and the environment, serves as a vital resource for sustainable human development. Phytoplankton plays a pivotal role in environmental monitoring and ecological assessment, serving as a biological indicator in water quality assessment. However, the rapid urban development poses a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems, leading to environmental changes that alter phytoplankton community structures and degrade ecosystem functions. The research on the phytoplankton community structure and its correlation with environmental factors in Yinchuan remains insufficient. Therefore, it is imperative for Yinchuan's water ecosystem to comprehensively understand the phytoplankton community structure and identify the driving factors influencing the water ecological environment.A survey of phytoplankton was conducted in 40 stations across the Diannong River Basin, Yuehai Wetland, Baohu Wetland, and Hequanhu Wetland in Yinchuan in April 2023. The results revealed the presence of seven phyla and 211 species of phytoplankton in Yinchuan. Bacillariophyta comprised the majority of observed species, followed by Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta, with a smaller proportion of other species distributed throughout. Key influencing factors included total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), dissolved oxygen (DO), and transparency (SDD). Significant disparities were noted in both the Simpson index and Pielou's evenness index of the phytoplankton community.