Recruitment of bloom-forming cyanobacteria and its driving factors

Based on most of the literature, this paper reviewed the progress made in following aspects: cognition to cyanobacteria recruitment, various traps for studying cyanobacteria recruitment in lakes, recruitment patterns of some species of cyanobacteria, and the driving factors for recruitment. Additionally, perspective studies of cyanobacteria recruitment in lakes were pointed out. In light of the existing knowledge, cyanobacteria recruitment could be regarded as a process that benthic overwintering cyanobacteria migrated to the pelagic phase after germination and growth renewal under suitable conditions. This process was divided into three consecutive phases: germination, a potential growth phase, and migration to the pelagic phase. Previous studies mostly focused on the migration from sediments to water. To date, several kinds of traps had been designed to investigate cyanobacteria recruitment. Some studies showed that amounts of cyanobacteria recruitment were higher in shallow regions than deep regions of lakes, and the recruitment rates mostly peaked in a given time of year before blooms onset. Temperature, resuspension and bioturbation had been recognized to be the most important factors for driving cyanobacteria recruitment. Other factors (such as light, nutrients, anoxia, etc.) also played a role.