European Diatom Database-Central European Dataset

The European Diatom Database (EDDI) is a web-based information system designed to enhance the application of diatom analysis to problems of surface water acidification, eutrophication and climate change.

This dataset includes 86 lakes from the Northern (Austria, Germany) and Southern Alps (Northern Italy), their pre-alpine lowlands, and Carinthia, Austria. The lakes are diverse in their types but are mostly large, deep, upland waters. The lakes have circumneutral to alkaline pH and cover a long total phosphorus gradient from oligotrophic to hypertrophic conditions. Surface sediment samples were collected by the Institute of Limnology, Mondsee between 1990 and 1994 and diatoms were counted by Sybille Wunsam. A WA diatom-total phosphorus transfer function was developed from these data and details are given in Wunsam & Schmidt (1995) and Wunsam et al. (1995). The WA model with tolerance downweighting and classical deshrinking performed best (apparent r2=0.57; RMSE=0.318 log10TP �g l-1; RMSEP=0.346 log10TP �g l-1). Palaeolimnological studies have been undertaken at a number of these sites (e.g. Alefs et al., 1996; Bennion et al., 1995; Marchetto & Bettinetti, 1995; Schmidt et al., 1998; Wunsam & Schmidt, 1995).