Spatiotemporal dynamics and related affecting factors of summer algal blooms in Xiangxi Bay of Three Gorges Reservoir.

In June - August 2008, the cyanobacterial bloom and chlorophycean bloom broke out one after the other in the Xiangxi Bay of Three Gorges Reservoir. Based on the weekly monitoring in summer in the Bay, and by using cluster analysis and discriminant analysis, the spatiotemporal dynamics and related affecting factors of the two blooms were studied. Each of the blooms could be divided into non-bloom group, transitional group, and bloom group. The two blooms had different uptake levels of dissolved Si (DSi), NO₃^--N + NO₂^--N, and PO₄^3--P. Cyanobacterial bloom had lower DSi concentration and lower TN/TP, DSi/TN and DSi/TP ratios than chlorophycean bloom. The discriminant factors of cyanobacterial bloom were Chl a, TN and PO₄^3--P, while those of chlorophycean bloom were Chl a and DSi. Better discriminant results were obtained when dividing each bloom into non-bloom group and bloom group. The critical value of Chl a for cyanobacterial bloom and chlorophycean bloom was 40 and 20 μg ^× L^-1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]