Chrysophycean cysts in Sierra Nevada (California) lake sediments: paleoecological potential

Thirty-three lakes in the Sierra Nevada range of California were investigated as part of a paleoecological study of the potential effects of acid deposition on sensitive lake/watershed ecosystems. Chrysophyte cysts from surface sediment samples were analyzed and compared with data on pH and alkalinity. This paper identifies the 25 dominant chrysophyte cyst taxa and provides information on their morphology, abundance, distribution and ecology. Given that the cyst types differ greatly in their abundance relative to pH and alkalinity, it is clear that they have potential for paleolimnological studies of Sierra lakes biogeochemistry.