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Spatial and temporal distributions of microorganisms and their role in the evolution of Erhai Lake eutrophication

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Abstract

The spatial and temporal distributions of sediment microorganism populations as well as their role in the evolution of Erhai Lake eutrophication were addressed in this study. Our results show that the microorganisms’ distribution is linked to many factors (e.g., temperature, substrate content, depth, aquatic macrophytes, etc.). In addition, it is likely that sediment fungi numbers indicate the degree of area source pollution to a certain extent. A high proportion of sediment actinomycetes (25.1–67.0 %) may inhibit nutrient release from the sediment, leading to a high nutrient level in sediment but relatively good water quality in the lake. Furthermore, an analysis of the depth profiles of microorganisms elucidates the development of Erhai Lake eutrophication. This study is the first to link the sediment microorganism population with the evolution of Erhai Lake eutrophication and may also provide useful information for managing lake eutrophication in the near future.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U1202235, 41103070), Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment (2012ZX07102-004), and Free Exploration Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (SKLECRA2014OFP05). And we also express our gratitude to the reviewers and editors for the comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China

    Li Zhang, Shengrui Wang, Yanping Li, Haichao Zhao & Weibin Qian

  2. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, Research Center of Lake Eco-environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China

    Li Zhang, Shengrui Wang, Yanping Li, Haichao Zhao & Weibin Qian

  3. College of Agricultural Science, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, 075131, China

    Haichao Zhao

  4. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China

    Weibin Qian

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  1. Li Zhang
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  2. Shengrui Wang
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  3. Yanping Li
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  4. Haichao Zhao
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Correspondence to Shengrui Wang.

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Zhang, L., Wang, S., Li, Y. et al. Spatial and temporal distributions of microorganisms and their role in the evolution of Erhai Lake eutrophication. Environ Earth Sci 74, 3887–3896 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4136-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4136-x

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