Relationships between diatom assemblages and physico‐chemical variables in the river ter (NE Spain)

Abstract
In the search for the causes of diatom assemblage distribution, a combination of two multivariate analyses has been used. Principal component analysis and canonical correlation analysis have allowed us to find suitable relationships between biological and physicochemical parameters. As a result, water salinity and pollution have appeared as the two main factors which determine diatom assemblage distribution. Reservoirs act as discruptors of the water characteristics, and have an improving effect in the two above factors, which leads to a different diatom community.