Citation. Sanger, J. E.; Gorham, E. 1970. The diversity of pigments in lake sediments and its ecological significance. Limnology and Oceanography 15(1):59-69.   [1495  CC]

Abstract. Thin-layer chromatography shows a large number of pigments (chlorophyll derivatives and carotenoids) in profundal lake sediments, diversity being somewhat greater in eutrophic than in oligotrophic lakes. Sedimentary pigments are much more numerous (24-47) than those of upland vegetation (7-8), aquatic macrophytes (12-15), and planktonic algae (10-21). Algal decomposition, which is accompanied by a marked increase in number of pigments, seems the most likely cause for the extreme diversity of sedimentary pigments.

Keywords. fossil pigments, sedimentary pigments