Diatom samples were treated using 10% HCl and 30% H2O2 according to standard procedures. Taxonomy was mainly based on Krammer and Lange‐Bertalot (1986-1991) using an Olympus BX53 microscope with an oil immersion objective at 1000. A minimum of 300 valves were counted in each sample. Diatom concentrations were calculated by counting a known area on a pipetted strewn slide, made from a 0.5 mL aliquot from a 13 mL 'well-mixed' suspension of ~ 0.5 - 1 g dry sediments. Meanwhile, length of each identified valve was measured using cellSens software installed in the Olympus microscope. Inorganic elements were analysed using an inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES, Profile DV) after complete digestion with a mixture of four acids (i.e., HF, HCl, HNO3 and HClO4), with reference to standard samples (precision of ± 5%). δ13C and δ15N of organic matter were determined using a Thermo Fisher Scientific stable isotope mass spectrometer (DELTA V advantage), with reference to standard samples (precision of ± 0.3‰).

This study explored ecological responses of Erye and Sanye lakes to climate change and atmospheric deposition based on multi-proxy sedimentary records in the Taibai Mountain (eastern China). Diatom communities of the two study lakes shifted from large-sized benthic taxa to small fragilariod species after the mid-20th century, synchronous with an increase in diatom production and a decrease in mean length of diatom valves. Changes in diatom communities were significantly correlated with nitrogen deposition in both lakes and climate warming in the upstream lake. A comparison of diatom records of sixteen alpine lakes in the eastern monsoonal region of China revealed that diatom flora shifts in southern lakes mainly occurred from the early 20th century and were closely linked to atmospheric deposition, whereas major changes in diatom communities in northern lakes after the 1950s mainly responded to climate warming.

Funding provided by: National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809Award Number: 42171166Funding provided by: National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809Award Number: U20A2094