Epiphytic Diatoms along Environmental Gradients in Western European Shallow Lakes
Blanco, Saul; Cejudo-Figueiras, Cristina; Alvarez-Blanco, Irene; van Donk, Ellen, et al. (2014). Epiphytic Diatoms along Environmental Gradients in Western European Shallow Lakes. Clean - Soil, Air, Water, 42, (3), 229 - 235
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Published
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English
Authors:
Blanco, Saul
;
Cejudo-Figueiras, Cristina
;
Alvarez-Blanco, Irene
;
van Donk, Ellen
, et al.
Department:
Division aquatic ecology
BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
Aquatic Ecology
Research Group:
Aquatic Ecology
Abstract:
Diatom-based assays have been successfully associated worldwide with the tropic status of lakes. Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between epiphytic diatoms and nutrient load in shallow lakes and wetlands. We examine the relative importance of environmental factors in explaining the structure of epiphytic diatom communities in a set of Western European shallow lakes. The effects of lake physical/chemical, morphometric, and geographical variables on diatom assemblages were tested using distance-based, canonical correspondence and regression analyses. Our results show that epiphytic diatom communities respond, mainly to physical/chemical variables, overriding the effects of lake depth, size, and location. The clustering of studied systems based along a total phosphorus concentration gradient concurs with previous classification of diatom taxa and nutrient state. Assessment of epiphytic diatoms provided a potential method for shallow lake classification.
Keywords:
Bacillariophyta ;
Bioindication ;
European shallow lakes ;
Eutrophication ;
Total phosphorus
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