Using high-frequency continuous monitoring data collected at the dam forebay of Huating Lake from April to June 2022, this study quantified chlorophyll-a (Chl.a) dynamics and examined its phase-dependent responses to hydrological and water-quality drivers during phytoplankton growth and decline stages. Principal component analysis, multivariate correlation analysis, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) were integrated to disentangle the relative contributions and interaction pathways of these drivers. Chl.a concentrations ranged from 6.54 to 65.90μg/L (mean: (34.62±12.14)μg/L), exhibiting a pronounced unimodal temporal pattern. The dominant controls on Chl.a differed substantially between growth and decline phases. During the growth phase, Chl.a variability was primarily driven by the combined effects of nutrient availability—especially total phosphorus (TP) and permanganate index (CODMn)—and hydrological processes, including water-level fluctuations and outflow discharge. In contrast, Chl.a dynamics during the decline phase were mainly regulated by pH and total nitrogen (TN), indicating a shift in controlling mechanisms across phytoplankton life stages. PLS-SEM results showed that water-quality factors exerted significant positive direct effects on Chl.a in both phases (standardized path coefficients: 0.729 in the growth phase and 0.941 in the decline phase). Hydrological factors did not directly affect Chl.a but influenced it indirectly through water-quality pathways, producing a negative indirect effect during the growth phase (-0.780) and a positive indirect effect during the decline phase (0.583). Variable-level analysis identified CODMn and TP, together with outflow discharge and water level, as key drivers during the growth phase, whereas pH, TP, TN, CODMn, and water level dominated during the decline phase.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |