To show the relative availability of nitrogen, phosphorus and silica for diatoms as well as non-siliceous algae in phytoplankton communities triangular diagrams are most appropriate. Triangular diagrams for TN-TP-SRSi show the nutrient ratios TN:TP, SRSi:TN and SRSi:TP in proportion to each other at the same time.
Comparison of waters, grouped according to their limnological characteristics, indicate that these groups have also different seasonal dynamics of TN, TP and SRSi in proportion to each other. From these groups, which include meso-eutrophic and hypertrophic, shallow and deep, polymictic and dimictic lakes,only the group of "flushed, hypertrophic polymictic lakes" has a high seasonal dynamic of the ratios of all three macronutrients. Moreover the relative availability of TN:TP-ratios changes from > 16:1 in spring to <16:1 in summer. Significant changes in phytoplankton structure are associated with this high dynamic of the nutrient ratios. Considerable changes in the share of cyanobacteria to diatom biomass during summer are synchronised with a powerful modification of the relative availability of TN-TP-SRSi as illustrated by the triangular diagrams.
For practical purposes trophic situations are most commonly evaluated from concentrations of a single nutrient or a nutrient ratio, such as N:P. However, a complex assessment would often be more appropriate. In this context triangular diagrams have the benefit of synoptically presenting relative nutrient availability for phytoplankton communities as a whole.