Diatom Paleolimnology Database for Global Change Studies

Over 20 data sets contain more than 4000 samples of diatom counts and associated environmental measurements. This cooperative database, managed by the Academy of Natural Sciences, aggregates regional calibration sets and sediment core data for paleolimnological research. It focuses on variables like salinity, pH, and trophic state relevant to climate change and eutrophication studies.

Use Cases

• Build inference models for salinity or pH using diatom count data from surface-sample calibration sets.
• Analyze long-term trends in lake trophic state by examining diatom-inferred characteristics from sediment core records.
• Study the correlation between specific diatom taxa abundances and corresponding water chemistry data across multiple regional datasets.
• Reconstruct historical hydrology and lake levels using dated sediment core counts and diatom-inferred environmental data.

Strengths

• Aggregates over 20 distinct data sets into a single resource.
• Contains data from more than 4000 individual samples.
• Includes multiple data types: diatom counts, water chemistry measurements, and dating information.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column details, and sample sizes per dataset are unknown.
• Geographic coverage and temporal range of the aggregated data are unspecified.
• Potential for inconsistency in data collection methods across the over 20 contributing datasets.

Provenance

Source

Academy of Natural Sciences Diatom Paleolimnology Data Cooperative (DPDC).

Collection Method

Compilation of contributed regional surface-sample calibration sets and sediment core studies.