Distribution of diatoms and mollusks in shallow lakes from the semiarid Pampa region, Argentina: Their relative paleoenvironmental significance

► The environmental information provided by diatoms and mollusks in the semiarid Pampas is compared. ► Ten shallow lakes were sampled for diatoms, mollusks and water quality variables. ► The highest percentage variance in diatom data was explained by hardness, conductivity, and mud. ► Mollusk variability was significantly related to conductivity, hardness, and vegetation cover. ► Shallow lakes from semiarid pampas are potential archives of paleoclimatic variations.