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Temporal and spatial variation of phytoplankton composition and abundance to determine water quality in Nanjiang Reservoir, China
 
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1
Centre for Research on Environmental Ecology and Fish Nutrition (CREEFN) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
 
2
Unit for Environmental Science and Management, School of Geo- and Spatial Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
 
3
College of Fisheries and Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetics Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, Peoples Republic of China
 
4
Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Makeni, Makeni City, Northern Province, Sierra Leone, West Africa
 
5
Coastal and Ocean Management Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
 
 
Corresponding author
Zhongjun Hu   

Centre for Research on Environmental Ecology and Fish Nutrition (CREEFN) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
 
 
J. Ecol. Eng. 2025; 26(5):288-300
 
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ABSTRACT
Understanding the temporal and spatial dynamics of phytoplankton is crucial for assessing water quality in freshwater ecosystems. In this study, the temporal and spatial distribution of phytoplankton and its correlation with environmental factors were studied during the Summer and Autumn of 2022 in the Nanjiang Reservoir, China, to determine its water quality. Water sampling was conducted monthly for 5 months at four fixed sites along the reservoir. Phytoplankton species composition and abundance were analysed based on the Utermöhl method while the physico-chemical parameters were analysed based on standard methods. The study identified 198 species, 74 genera, and 7 phyla (Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta, Euglenophyta, Dinophyta, Cryptophyta, and Chrysophyta) in the reservoir. Bacillariophyta displayed the greatest cellular abundance and species diversity during the study period. The average abundance of phytoplankton in summer (217.76 ± 13.59 × 104 cells/L) was higher than that in autumn (178.93 ± 13.59) × 104 cells/L). The upstream of the reservoir represented the highest phytoplankton density, biomass, and diversity attributable to the highest concentrations of nutrients from the river's influx observed in the same section. Correlation and Redundancy analysis (RDA) highlighted water temperature, pH, and Total Dissolve Solid (TDS) as the most important environmental factors influencing phytoplankton community structure. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring phytoplankton dynamics as a reliable indicator of water quality in reservoirs and may have implications for Nanjiang Reservoir management and conservation efforts.
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