Cyanobacteria in lakes: risks linked to loss of diversity
D-USYS
The composition of cyanobacterial communities in peri-alpine lakes has become increasingly similar over the past century. These are the findings of an Eawag-led study analysing DNA extracted from sediment cores.
Climate warming and a period of eutrophication have favoured in particular potentially toxic species which can adapt rapidly to environmental changes. These are the findings of a study analysing DNA extracted from sediment cores.
Cyanobacteria – also known as blue-green algae – are adaptable organisms which lie at the bottom of the food chain in lakes. Around a century ago, each lake had its own characteristic cyanobacterial assemblage. Now, according to a study by Swiss and French researchers published today in Nature Ecology & Evolution, the differences between lakes are becoming less marked – from Lake Constance to Lake Geneva, and from Hallwilersee to Lago Maggiore. The lead of the study had external page Marie-Eve Monchamp from Eawag, one of the researcher being Piet Spaak, lecturer at D-USYS.
- Homogenization of lake cyanobacterial communities over a century of climate change and eutrophication; Marie-Eve Monchamp et al.; Nature Ecology and Evolution. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0407-0
- external page Press Release by Eawag from Monday, December 11th, 2017
- external page Piet Spaak is an expert of plankton and sediments at Eawag and lecturer at D-USYS