Siliceous microalgae in the Holocene sediments of Lake Ladoga

Abstract

The study of the siliceous microalgae in Lake Ladoga Holocene sediments revealed four main stages of the lake ecosystem evolution. The Early Holocene was the most favourable time for chrysophytes as they gained competitive advantages under the low-nutrients and low-temperature conditions. Parallel fluctuations in diatom and cyst concentrations suggest that their growth is controlled by the same environmental factors. In the second half of the Holocene, restructuring of the microalgal communities took place reflected as a decreased proportion of chrysophyte cysts.