French River Diatom Samples with Associated Water Chemistry

French national river biomonitoring data includes diatom community samples collected annually during low-flow periods. Samples were processed following French and European standards, with at least 400 valves counted per sample. Monthly physical and chemical water analyses were conducted at the same sites, measuring parameters like dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and ions.

Use Cases

• Modeling water quality based on diatom community composition.
• Analyzing relationships between nutrient concentrations and diatom relative abundances.
• Studying seasonal or spatial patterns in river biomonitoring data.
• Developing bioindicator indices for river health assessment.

Strengths

• Samples collected following standardized French and European procedures (Afnor, 2007; European Committee for Standardization, 2004).
• At least 400 diatom valves were counted per sample for taxonomic identification.
• Monthly physical and chemical water analyses complement the annual biological sampling.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Frédéric Rimet

Collection Method

Benthic diatoms were collected from stones, cleaned, mounted, and counted under a microscope. Water samples were analyzed monthly in a laboratory.

Time Range

Samples collected once per year during low-flow periods.

Geography

Rivers in France, as part of a national biomonitoring program.