Diatoms of North AmericaDescription: Paleolimnology, the study of lake sediments to interpret lake history, allows understanding of lakes on annual, decadal, and millennial time scales. Diatom species reflect ambient lake conditions and diatom cell walls (frustules) are preserved in lake sediments. Thus, diatoms in lake sediments are used to interpret a wide range of influences on lakes including eutrophication, watershed alteration, acidification, hydrology, and climatic change. Lake managers, in particular, use paleolimnology to develop nutrient criteria, evaluate lake restoration, and document watershed remediation.
Target Audience: Our intended audience for this webinar is anyone who is interested in general information about the types of information that can be gained by studies of lake sediments. This is an introductory webinar, so you should not expect specialized information, e.g., detailed methods on how to conduct paleolimnological studies.
