Evaluation of microbiological criteria, planktonic communities and trophic state of groundwater resources in Siwa Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt.

ABSTRACT: Due to their small size and the extreme environmental conditions in hyper-arid regions, wells are highly susceptible to disturbances. Western Desert wells are scarcely studied concerning their ecological status and the environmental factors affecting their aquatic communities. This study aimed to assess groundwater trophic states based on the microbial, phytoplankton and zooplankton composition in three drains and seventeen wells. Principal component analysis, based on physical and chemical parameters, classified the drains and wells into three groups differentiated as; (1) highly mineralized and eutrophic sites with an average conductivity of 12.01 mS/cm. (2) minimally mineralized and eutrophic sites with mean conductivity of 2.14 mS/cm, and (3) an intermediate group with mean conductivit

SUBMITTER: Abdelkarim MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12375732 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature