Table 1. The average values and ranges of selected morphometrical and limnological characteristics in Erhai Lake and Niushanhu Lake during the study period.
| Parameter | Erhai Lake | Niushanhu Lake | ||
| Average | Range | Average | Range | |
| Altitude | 1973 | 27 | ||
| Surface area (km2) | 249.76 | 38 | ||
| Storage capability (m3) | 25.4×108 | 1.18×108 | ||
| Growth days (day) | 320 | 210 | ||
| Coverage of P.maackainaus | 2.95% | 26.50% | ||
| Total macrophytes coverage | 5.20% | 39.50% | ||
| Biomass of P.maackainaus (g FW m−2) | 12827 | 1250–25416 | 8650 | 6283–11183 |
| Biomass of total macrophytes (kg FW) | 2.22×108 | 1.52×108 −3.04×108 | 0.34×108 | 0.25×108 −0.44×108 |
| Water depth (m) | 10.8 | 0–21.5 | 3.5 | 0–4.5 |
| Temperature (°C) | 18.74 | 8.9–27.3 | 21.76 | 2.15–32.85 |
| Dissolved oxygen (mg L−1) | 6.8 | 5.05–9.12 | 8.79 | 8.1–10.5 |
| Secchi depth (cm) | 1.45 | 1.15–2.85 | 2.5 | 1.5–3.6 |
| pH | 8.6 | 8.1–9.7 | 8.1 | 7.3–8.6 |
| Total algal biomass (mg L−1) | 2.84 | 0.31–4.36 | 0.201 | 0.022–0.35 |
| TN (mg L−1) | 0.52 | 0.20–0.96 | 0.36 | 0.22–0.67 |
| TP (mg L−1) | 0.027 | 0.017–0.047 | 0.008 | 0.001–0.019 |
| NH4-N (mg L−1) | 0.14 | 0.09–0.20 | 0.08 | 0.01–0.12 |
| COD (mg L−1) | 3.6 | 2.35–4.86 | 1.6 | 0.6–2.2 |
Growth days indicate the number of days with the average daily water temperature of more than 10°C; FW: fresh weight; TN: total nitrogen content in water; TP: total phosphate in water; NH4-N: ammonium nitrogen content in water; COD: chemical oxygen demand of water.