Response of the Cyanobacteria Plankton Community to Anthropogenic Impact in Small Lakes of Urbanized Territory in the Permafrost Zone of Northeast Asia (Eastern Siberia, Yakutia)
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe paper analyses phytoplankton community with special emphasis in cyanobacteria in Eastern Siberia's Yakutia region, where significant population growth is driving agricultural and public utility development. The region, rich in small lakes and situated in a permafrost zone, has faced human-induced pressures over the past period. The authors studied 17 lakes near the largest city and nearby villages, focusing on cyanobacteria due to their importance in summer phytoplankton associations. Their integrated assessment using statistical mapping revealed signs of urban influence, including decreased pH and increased nitrogen and organic matter runoff despite harsh conditions. Cyanobacteria flourish in urban lakes, raising concerns about the risk of potenticial harmful algal blooms in several lakes. The authors should review the english text, checking for redundancy and repetitions. Some suggestions are given on specific point. As general recommendations, I would add the following:
a) Tables included are very rich of information, but please attention to unit measure and formatting
b) A language revision could help improving the readability, making some sentences more incisive, perhaps reducing also the length of the paper.
The subject of the paper is very interesting and pleasant reading for the proposed theme
Line 15: accompanied by advancements in agriculture and public utilities.
Line 16: which have been under pressure from human activities for the past few decades
Line 22: cyanobacteria
Line 19: Previous studies have established that cyanobacteria constitute the phytoplankton main group in these lakes during summer period. Therefore, we selected them as the focus for our bioindication analysis.
Line 21: An integrated assessment of the bioindication properties of 23 cyanobacteria species, along with chemical water parameters, was undertaken using statistical mapping methods, JASP, and Redundancy Analysis (RDA). This analysis revealed the impact of urbanized areas, characterized by a decrease in pH, runoff of nitrogen compounds, and an increase in organic matter.
Line 23: Through an integrated assessment of the bioindication properties of cyanobacteria and the chemical parameters of water, employing statistical mapping methods , JASP and RDA, we identified indicators of the impact of urbanized areas (a decrease in pH, the runoff of nitrogen compounds and organic matter).
Line 25: Despite the cryolithozone harsh conditions, in small lakes of urbanized areas, cyanobacteria exibit their competitive advantages within the plankton community.
Line 71: The study area is situated in the northeastern part of the Asian subcontinent, specifically in Eastern Siberia's Yakutia region, within the middle reaches of the Lena River basin, characterized by continuous permafrost.
Line 74: Yakutia records the coldest temperatures in the entire Earth's Northern Hemisphere.
Line 83: The study area is rich in small lakes.
Line 105: the 4 % Formaldehyde solution
Line 107: Water samples of 2 L were taken from each water body for chemical analysis and transported to the Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone SB RAS (Yakutsk) for further studies. Water temperature was measured with Chektemp electronic thermometer (Hanna Instruments, Woonsocket, RI, USA).
2.4. Do you have or calculate cyanobacteria/phytoplankton biomass? Thank you
Line 133: please, complete sentence
Line 143: During sampling, lake water in the surface layer was well warmed during sampling (Table 2). Furthermore, all lakes showed a higher water pH value.
3.1 I have a question is it the average of the water column or the surface layer? Thank you
Table 2: please align the values in columns and put the units of measurement
Note of Table 2: Lake numbering is the same as in Table 1. “-“, not determined.ù
Line 149: Most lakes have fresh water, with the exception of Lake Ochchuguy-Matta, which contains brackish water.
151- 152-154-158: maxima (if is plural)
153: minima (if is plural)
Line 161: A total of 44 cyanobacterial species belonging to 22 different genera were identified within the plankton of the lakes.
Line 162: The highest diversity of cyanobacteria species
Line 163: The fewest number of species was observed in
Please, when mentioned for the first time a species, add complete with author ex Microcystis flos-aquae (Wittrock) Kirchner
Comments on the Quality of English Language
The authors should review the english text, checking for redundancy and repetitions.
I suggest a reduction in the length of the sentences would improve its clarity and sharpness.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 1,
Thank you and the Editor for comments. Please find below point by point responses to your comments and corrections in ms.
With best regards,
Prof Sophia Barinova,
Corresponding author
Responses to Reviewer 1 round 1
As general recommendations, I would add the following:
- a) Tables included are very rich of information, but please attention to unit measure and formatting
Response: done
- b) A language revision could help improving the readability, making some sentences more incisive, perhaps reducing also the length of the paper.
Response: we try
The subject of the paper is very interesting and pleasant reading for the proposed theme
Response: Thank you
Line 15: accompanied by advancements in agriculture and public utilities.
Response: done
Line 16: which have been under pressure from human activities for the past few decades
Response: done
Line 22: cyanobacteria
Response: done
Line 19: Previous studies have established that cyanobacteria constitute the phytoplankton main group in these lakes during summer period. Therefore, we selected them as the focus for our bioindication analysis.
Response: done
Line 21: An integrated assessment of the bioindication properties of 23 cyanobacteria species, along with chemical water parameters, was undertaken using statistical mapping methods, JASP, and Redundancy Analysis (RDA). This analysis revealed the impact of urbanized areas, characterized by a decrease in pH, runoff of nitrogen compounds, and an increase in organic matter.
Response: done
Line 23: Through an integrated assessment of the bioindication properties of cyanobacteria and the chemical parameters of water, employing statistical mapping methods , JASP and RDA, we identified indicators of the impact of urbanized areas (a decrease in pH, the runoff of nitrogen compounds and organic matter).
Response: done
Line 25: Despite the cryolithozone harsh conditions, in small lakes of urbanized areas, cyanobacteria exibit their competitive advantages within the plankton community.
Response: done
Line 71: The study area is situated in the northeastern part of the Asian subcontinent, specifically in Eastern Siberia's Yakutia region, within the middle reaches of the Lena River basin, characterized by continuous permafrost.
Response: done
Line 74: Yakutia records the coldest temperatures in the entire Earth's Northern Hemisphere.
Response: done
Line 83: The study area is rich in small lakes.
Response: done
Line 105: the 4 % Formaldehyde solution
Response: done
Line 107: Water samples of 2 L were taken from each water body for chemical analysis and transported to the Institute for Biological Problems of Cryolithozone SB RAS (Yakutsk) for further studies. Water temperature was measured with Chektemp electronic thermometer (Hanna Instruments, Woonsocket, RI, USA).
Response: done
2.4. Do you have or calculate cyanobacteria/phytoplankton biomass? Thank you
Response: The cell count is calculated based on occurrence data, so there is no biomass data.
Line 133: please, complete sentence
Response: missing part of sentence added
Line 143: During sampling, lake water in the surface layer was well warmed during sampling (Table 2). Furthermore, all lakes showed a higher water pH value.
Response: The revision to the text suggested by the reviewer has been implemented
3.1 I have a question is it the average of the water column or the surface layer? Thank you
Response: Table 2 presents data on the surface water layer (0-20 cm). We have added additional information about this at the beginning of section 2.2. Sampling
Table 2: please align the values in columns and put the units of measurement
Response: done
Note of Table 2: Lake numbering is the same as in Table 1. “-“, not determined.ù
Response: We have revised Table 2 in accordance with the reviewer's comment
Line 149: Most lakes have fresh water, with the exception of Lake Ochchuguy-Matta, which contains brackish water.
Response: done
151- 152-154-158: maxima (if is plural)
Response: done
153: minima (if is plural)
Response: done
Line 161: A total of 44 cyanobacterial species belonging to 22 different genera were identified within the plankton of the lakes.
Response: done
Line 162: The highest diversity of cyanobacteria species
Response: done
Line 163: The fewest number of species was observed in
Response: done
Please, when mentioned for the first time a species, add complete with author ex Microcystis flos-aquae (Wittrock) Kirchner
Response: the authors added
Comments on the Quality of English Language
The authors should review the english text, checking for redundancy and repetitions.
I suggest a reduction in the length of the sentences would improve its clarity and sharpness.
Response: We try.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe article is very well prepared, based on a thorough study of 17 lakes in northeastern Siberia. It may not be groundbreaking, as the authors have shown that human influence accelerates the eutrophication of lakes and stimulates cyanobacterial blooms. However, since it concerns areas with extreme climatic conditions on our globe, it should be published in a good, international journal. I have only one small comment on the manuscript. Figures should be legible without having to refer to the text, and especially to the Appendixes. Therefore, the captions under Fig. 3 and 4 should include explanations of abbreviations, instead of referring to Appendix Table A3.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 2,
Thank you and the Editor for comments. Please find below point by point responses to your comments and corrections in ms.
With best regards,
Prof Sophia Barinova,
Corresponding author
Responses to Reviewer 2 round 1
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
I have only one small comment on the manuscript. Figures should be legible without having to refer to the text, and especially to the Appendixes. Therefore, the captions under Fig. 3 and 4 should include explanations of abbreviations, instead of referring to Appendix Table A3.
Response:
The captions to Figures 3 and 4 have been supplemented with an explanatory note instead of the reference to Table 3 in the Appendix.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe work is based on a large array of natural data collected in 17 small lakes of the permafrost zone, the Central Yakutia. Data were obtained by traditional methods and subjected to comprehensive statistical analysis. The aim of the work was to identify the diversity of cyanobacteria and to assess the anthropogenic impact of urbanized areas on aquatic ecosystems using bioindication and statistical mapping methods. It was shown that the flora of cyanobacteria of small lakes was characterized by a relatively high biodiversity and even in the harsh climatic conditions of the cryolithozone, a combination of anthropogenic load with slow water exchange and good heating allows cyanobacteria to use their competitive advantages to dominate phytoplankton. An integrated assessment of the bioindicator properties of cyanobacteria and chemical indicators of water allowed to estimate the degree of anthropogenic impact on the ecosystem of small shallow lakes in an urbanized area in the permafrost zone.
The work combines fundamental aspects of cyanobacteria ecology and practical conclusions about the state of water bodies in the cryolithozone. The list of cyanobacteria species, species occurrence, and species ecological preferences is one of the undoubted advantages of the work.
With a general high assessment of the paper, I have some comments.
The years of sampling are not indicated in the Methods.
Table 2 does not provide units of measurement for the parameters.
The number of digits after the decimal point is excessive for such indicators as T, TDS, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4, HCO3, COD, C org, Diss Org, Color for Lake 4. All of them are unlikely to be determined with such high accuracy.
For all ions in the table and in the text, it is customary to indicate the sign and magnitude of the ion charge as a superscript.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer 3,
Thank you and the Editor for comments. Please find below point by point responses to your comments and corrections in ms.
With best regards,
Prof Sophia Barinova,
Corresponding author
Responses to the Reviewer 3 round 1
With a general high assessment of the paper, I have some comments.
The years of sampling are not indicated in the Methods.
Response: At the beginning of section 2.2, the sampling dates were indicated.
Table 2 does not provide units of measurement for the parameters.
Response: Table 2 was supplemented with information on units of measurement of physical and chemical parameters.
The number of digits after the decimal point is excessive for such indicators as T, TDS, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4, HCO3, COD, C org, Diss Org, Color for Lake 4. All of them are unlikely to be determined with such high accuracy.
Response: The number of decimal places was reduced by one for the following indicators presented in Table 2: T, TDS, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4, HCO3, COD, C org, Diss Org
For all ions in the table and in the text, it is customary to indicate the sign and magnitude of the ion charge as a superscript.
Response: For the ions in Table 2, the sign and magnitude of their charge were added, and the same was done for Cl- in Figs 8 and 10.
