Abstract
This study examined the possible effects of banana cultivation on phytoplankton biomass and community structure in southwest China along the Lancang-Mekong River. Water and phytoplankton samples were collected on March (dry season) and August (rainy season), and physical-chemical properties of water, phytoplankton biomass and community structure were determined. The results indicated that the banana cultivation resulted in increases in sediment, total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations at estuaries of Lancang-Mekong River branches. Cultivation decreased phytoplankton diversity, abundance and biomass, as well as changed the phytoplankton community structure at estuaries of branches. Sediment concentration (increased by cultivation) was considered as the dominant influence factor of phytoplankton biomass and community structure. However, at downstream sites (primary channel), banana cultivation did not cause (result from its huge flow) the significant changes in physical-chemical properties of water, phytoplankton biomass or community structure.
Highlights
Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems of the world[1,2,3], and play a critical role in climate change and biodiversity protection[4,5]
Similar total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and temperature changes occurred among these samples, as did the sediment concentration
Our results indicated that the banana cultivation caused the increases of the sediment concentration, TP and TN at estuaries of the branches of Lancang-Mekong River
Summary
Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems of the world[1,2,3], and play a critical role in climate change and biodiversity protection[4,5]. The interactions among turbulent mixing, underwater light availability, nutrient inputs, and grazing pressure can strongly effect the composition and diversity of phytoplankton, leading to strong and predictable succession patterns of phytoplankton in water bodies[8,20,21,22,23]. All these factors make phytoplankton suitable indicators of monitoring ecological transformations and their magnitude[14,24,25,26]. The objectives of the study were: (1) to analyze the effects of banana cultivation on biomass and diversity of phytoplankton; and (2) to increase our knowledge about the relationship among the water’s physicochemical properties, the biomass and diversity of phytoplankton, and anthropogenic activities (banana cultivation)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
