Periphytic diatom community composition and environmental variables in the Yellow River Basin (May–June 2021)

This dataset contains periphytic diatom community composition and associated environmental variables collected from 57 sites (25 mainstream and 32 tributaries) in the Yellow River Basin, China, between May and June 2021. Periphytic diatoms were sampled from natural substrates (stones and aquatic macrophytes) and identified using light and scanning electron microscopy. Relative abundance of each taxon was calculated based on counts of at least 500 valves per sample. Environmental variables include water temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N), turbidity, substrate sand ratio, riparian vegetation cover, number of roads and bridges, population density, and percentage of agricultural land use.