Relationship between size-fractionated Chlorophyll a and environmental factors in Lake Baiyangdian, China

Eutrophication results from an acumulation of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon in a waterbody in turn leading to high levels of plant growth. To investigate the correlations between plant growth and eutrophication in Lake Baiyangdian, the levels of size-fractionated Chlorophyll a (Chl a) from phytoplankton and nutrients in the water were determined in 2010. Two typical stations, a eutrophic station Nanliuzhuang and a non-eutrophic station Caiputai, were selected for this study. Results showed that Chl a from nano-phytoplankton was the main contributor to total Chl a levels at both the stations. Moreover, the percentage of net phytoplankton and nano-phytoplankton was closely correlated to water contamination levels. Therefore, the percentage of size-fractionated Chl a can be considered as an important indicator to evaluate the eutrophic level of a lake. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of School of Environment, Beijing Normal University.