| To investigate the effect of different concentrations of boron（0~400 mg·L-1） on the growth and composition of freshwater phytoplankton, laboratory experiments were conducted in the present study. The results showed that lower concentrations of boron（≤50 mg·L-1） increased the biomass and biodiversity of phytoplankton, whereas the higher concentrations of boron（≥100 mg·L-1） decreased the biomass and biodiversity of phytoplankton. Particularly, Phormidium corium and Merismopedia tenuissima were the most tolerant species and were able to survive at boron concentrations up to 400 mg·L-1. These results suggested that lower concentrations of boron accelerated the growth of specific freshwater phytoplankton species, while higher concentrations of boron inhibited the growth of phytoplankton. Moreover, with the increase of boron concentrations, the dominant species of those with less boron tolerance were replaced progressively by more tolerant species. |
