Influences of lower pH on phytoplankton growth in alkaline lakes after water transfer: Insights from a coupled hydrodynamic–algal ecological model and experimental analysis.

Alkaline lakes with high pH and unique ecological communities often face water-level drawdown and ecological degradation problems due to climatic and hydrologic factors. Water transfer is becoming a popular method for solving these problems. However, a high pH is often considered the key to maintaining the stability of alkaliphilic algal communities, and a lower pH induced by water transfer from a neutral-pH river may threaten ecosystems in alkaline lakes. To explore the response characteristics of phytoplankton in alkaline lakes to pH changes, we conducted cultivation experiments on one species of dominant Cyanobacteria and one species of dominant Chlorophyta from alkaline lakes under different pH conditions. Subsequently, we constructed a coupled hydrodynamic and algal mathematical model considering the effect of pH to predict the dynamic changes in phytoplankton in a typical alkaline lake under water-transfer conditions. Both species are basophilic, and pH has a "low-inhibition and high-promotion" effect on their growth. A lower pH is detrimental to cyanobacterial growth and competitiveness, which may cause Cyanobacteria to lose their dominance in weakly alkaline environments with a pH < 8.5; additionally, water transfer causes a decrease in the total biomass and proportion of Cyanobacteria in Lake Chenghai, with decreases induced by pH changes accounting for 13.4% and 70.1%, respectively. The decrease in pH is the main reason for the decrease in dominance of Cyanobacteria after water transfer. These results provide a basic summary of the effects of pH changes on the algal growth in alkaline lakes and are a useful for formulating ecological water-transfer strategies for alkaline lakes. • Experiments and simulations were combined to study the response law of phytoplankton growth in alkaline lakes to pH changes. • Constructed a coupled hydrodynamic–algal ecological model considering the impact of pH on algal growth. • Water transfer projects decrease the risk of algal blooms and the dominance of Cyanobacteria in Lake Chenghai. • A lower pH is the main reason for the decrease in dominance of Cyanobacteria after water transfer. • Cyanobacteria dominate alkaline environments due to their basophilism and strong competitive ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]