A Comparative Study of Benthic Algal Colonization in Shallow Lakes of China

The colonization characteristics of benthic microalgae communities on artificial substrata were analyzed in four shallow lakes of different trophic status. Colonizations in lower nutrient lakes with macrophytes (Niuchao Lake and Langzi Lake) had longer lag phases, lower peak biomasses, and had longer times to community maturity than the higher nutrient lakes without macrophytes (Nanhu Lake and Donghu Lake). Hypereutrophic Nanhu Lake was dominated by filamentous green algae Oedogonium spp. and the diatom Gomphonema parvulum. The diatoms Melosira varians and Synedra spp. dominated the community in eutrophic Donghu Lake. Achnanthes minutissima was dominant in most colonization periods, and some filamentous green algae appeared with prolonged colonization time in the lower nutrient lakes. Succession rates were higher at sites with higher nutrient concentrations