丰水期长江感潮河口段网采浮游植物的分布与长期变化

于2009年6、8月对长江口门至江阴的河口段浮游植物进行了拖网采集,共检出浮游植物6门99属239种。其中:硅藻123种,甲藻19种,绿藻和蓝藻各42种,裸藻9种,黄藻4种。河口段网采浮游植物丰度以蓝藻占绝对优势,硅藻次之,两者合计在群落中的比例超过了95%。优势种也主要以蓝藻(水华鱼腥藻Anabaena flos-aquae、柔软腔球藻Coelosphaerium kuetzingiarum、微囊藻Microcystis spp.、颤藻Oscillatoria spp.和席藻Phorimidium spp.)构成,硅藻仅有2种(骨条藻Skeletonema spp.和颗粒直链藻Aulacoseira granulata)。口门内盐度均<0.5,群落基本以淡水类群为主,口门附近则以半咸水类群为主,海水类群主要位于口门外(盐度>13)。随着水温和营养盐水平的升高,8月浮游植物平均丰度(347.75×10⁴ 个/m³)明显高于6月(204.19×10⁴ 个/m³)。根据多维尺度和相似性分析,丰水期长江河口段浮游植物群落组成与分布存在显著(P<0.01)的时空差异。对比20世纪80年代以来的历史资料发现,长江口门内网采浮游植物丰度显著升高,且优势种也从硅藻(骨条藻、直链藻和圆筛藻)转变为蓝藻(颤藻、鱼腥藻和微囊藻)。     

广东省增江菱形藻属群落分布的时空特征

底栖硅藻是河流生态监测常用的生物监测指标, 为了解底栖硅藻中的菱形藻属(Nitzschia)分布格局及其对环境的指示作用, 于2010 年5 月、9 月和2011 年1 月对广东省增江的21 个采样点进行底栖硅藻采样调查和监测, 分析了底栖硅藻中菱形藻属的分布特征及群落结构与环境因子的关系。三次采样中共检出菱形藻属26 种, 其多样性(丰富度和真辛普森多样性指数)随河流等级呈先升高后下降的空间分布特征。3 种优势种(克劳斯菱形藻、谷皮菱形藻和亚针尖菱形藻)相对丰度的时空分布存在差异: 如克劳斯菱形藻的相对丰度在下游较高, 而亚针尖菱形藻在中游较高; 2011 年1 月采样中的谷皮菱形藻相对丰度明显低于2010 年5 月和9 月。逐步回归表明, 环境因子对菱形藻属相对丰度变化的解释率较高, 三个次采样季节的解释率(Adjusted R2)在60%左右。2010 年9 月和2011 年1 月两次采样的冗余分析中, 环境因子均能显著解释菱形藻属群落的变异, 解释量分别为43.7%和37.9%。多元方差分析表明, 菱形藻属群落结构空间变化明显, 季节变化显著。     

上海公园水体夏季浮游植物群落与环境因子的关系

为了解公园水体浮游植物群落状况,分析浮游植物物种分布和环境因子之间的关系,揭示浮游植物物种对生态环境的需求,于2008年7月和9月对上海市11个公园水体浮游植物群落进行了调查,对获得的浮游植物数据和环境因子数据进行典范相关分析(CCA),并绘制了物种与环境因子关系的二维排序图。结果表明：调查期间共鉴定出浮游植物384种,隶属于8门,浮游植物密度范围为2.01×10⁵～57.60×10⁵ cells·L^-1;群落组成以蓝藻、裸藻、硅藻和绿藻为主,主要优势种有细微颤藻、无常蓝纤维藻、尾裸藻、颗粒直链藻、梅尼小环藻、普通小球藻、四尾栅藻等;7月影响浮游植物分布的主要环境因子依次为铵态氮、溶解氧、水温和总磷,而9月的pH值、水温、溶解氧、透明度和总氮含量对浮游植物的分布产生影响较大;其中,透明度和浮游动物量是影响隐藻、甲藻和硅藻藻类生物量的主要环境因子,而蓝藻、裸藻、绿藻主要受水体氮磷营养盐浓度和溶解氧的影响。     

广东长潭水库浮游生物群落结构特征

长潭水库是广东梅州市重要的备用水源地,属于国家一类水源保护区。2010年7月,通过分析长潭水库浮游生物群落组成、生物量及多样性指数等群落结构特征和水体理化指标,揭示长潭水库富营养化水平。结果显示,长潭水库鉴定出55种浮游植物,隶属于6个门,优势种为绿藻门的栅藻（Scenedesmus sp.）、蓝藻门的微囊藻（Microcystis sp.）和伪鱼腥藻（Pseudanabaena sp.）、隐藻门的隐藻（Cryptophyta sp.）以及硅藻门的小环藻（Cyclotella sp.）和针杆藻（Synedra sp.）;藻类密度范围1.71×10⁶~2.44×10⁸ cells/L;浮游动物共检出44种,包括轮虫、枝角类和桡足类,其中轮虫是主要类群。综合营养状态指数评价结果显示,长潭水库部分水体呈轻度富营养化。典范对应分析结果显示,浮游动物、溶解氧、总氮、总磷和化学需氧量是影响长潭水库浮游植物群落结构的关键环境因子。     

淡水超微型浮游植物多样性及其研究方法

超微藻广泛分布于海洋和淡水生态系统中,在水生生态系统尤其是微食物环中起着重要作用。自20世纪70年代被发现以来,有关超微藻的研究大多集中在海洋,直到近年来淡水超微藻才受到广泛关注。目前淡水生境中发现的超微藻主要包括真核超微藻和原核聚球藻,而在海洋生境中分布广泛的原绿球藻在淡水环境中则很少被发现。超微真核藻多样性极其复杂,几乎在所有的门类都有发现;而目前在中国湖泊中发现的聚球藻主要以富含藻蓝素的聚球藻为主。影响超微藻生长的因子主要包括营养盐、温度、光照及生物因子(如捕食)等,自然水体的超微藻可能同时受多个以上环境因子的共同影响。由于超微藻细胞微小,形态特征不明显,而且大部分物种不能被分离纯培养,因此传统研究方法受到限制,直至近些年来,荧光显微技术、流式细胞术及分子生物学技术的发展,才使我们有机会对超微藻多样性和生态学有了进一步的认识。本文对淡水超微藻多样性的研究进展进行了综述,介绍了淡水超微藻的主要类群及其环境影响因子,重点阐述了当前超微藻的研究方法。     

洪湖水体藻类藻相特征及其对生境的响应

藻类是水生态系统的重要成分,它的群落结构、细胞密度变化与水环境相适应,随水环境的变化而改变,因此藻相变化是评价水体质量的一项重要指标。2009—2010年在洪湖水面不同方位布点采样,对水体的浮游藻类藻相(群落结构、密度)和水质状况(水位(water level,H)、水温(water temperature,tw)、透明度(transparency,SD)、总氮(total nitrogen,TN)、总磷(totalphosphorus,TP)、高锰酸盐指数(permanganate index,CODMn)和叶绿素含量(chlorophyll a,Chl-a)等)进行了逐月的调查、监测,采用湖库营养状态指数法对湖泊富营养化评价,并运用多元逐步回归方法建立水体藻类与生境因子的回归方程。结果表明:洪湖水体总体上已达到轻度富营养化状态;藻类以蓝藻门、硅藻门和绿藻门为主,共鉴定出7门65属,藻细胞密度为1.14×106—3.24×107个/L,藻相季节变化特征明显。藻类组成以蓝藻门密度最高(52.93%),硅藻门(25.96%)和绿藻门(16.83%)次之,隐藻门(1.98%)、金藻门(1.64%)、裸藻门(0.42%)和甲藻门(0.25%)相对较低。藻类藻相及优势种在不同季节有所差异,冬春季节(12—5月)以硅藻门的直链藻、小环藻和针杆藻为优势种,夏秋季节(7—11月)以蓝藻门的鱼腥藻和微囊藻为优势种;湖泊藻类细胞密度与tw、CODMn呈正显著相关关系,与H、TN、TP、SD相关关系不显著;藻细胞生长逐步回归方程为y=3.7815+0.0794tw+0.5670CODMn-1.3467SD,藻细胞生长主要受水温和有机污染物等的影响,氮磷不是藻类生长的控制因子;在湖泊不同区域,环境条件存在差异,导致藻类生长过程中起主导作用的环境因子存在一定的差异,蓝藻生长主要受tw、CODMn和SD控制,绿藻生长主要受H、tw和CODMn影响,而硅藻生长决定于水体CODMn。     

贵州百花湖夏季浮游植物昼夜垂直分布特征

为了探讨浮游植物在水体中的昼夜垂直分布格局,于2012年7月31日至8月1日对百花湖(水库)浮游植物进行昼夜24 h定点分层研究。研究结果表明:蓝藻、绿藻、硅藻种类数在水体中具有明显的分层现象,蓝藻种类数在0.5—2 m居多,绿藻种类数在0.5—6 m明显多于7—14 m,硅藻种类数主要分布在6 m及以深的水层中。湖泊假鱼腥藻(Pseudanabaena limnetica)为绝对优势种,相对丰度为82.69%。8:00时湖泊假鱼腥藻在2—3 m处聚集程度最高,10:00时聚集程度最高的水层上升至0.5 m,10:00—12:00湖泊假鱼腥藻的细胞丰度由0.5 m向2 m扩增,12:00时在2 m处达到全天峰值,此时0.5 m处的细胞丰度是除6:00外的最小值,12:00—14:00湖泊假鱼腥藻的细胞丰度由2 m向0.5 m扩增,16:00时又大量聚集于1 m处,说明湖泊假鱼腥藻在白天具有明显的垂直迁移现象;湖泊假鱼腥藻丰度的MI指数白天在1.45—2.07之间,夜间在1.40—1.46之间,变化趋势与时间深度等值图结果相符,说明湖泊假鱼腥藻在水体中昼夜均呈聚集分布,且白天的聚集程度及变化幅度大于夜间;百花湖浮游植物总丰度的昼夜垂直分布格局与湖泊假鱼腥藻一致;水体中浮游植物总丰度和湖泊假鱼腥藻丰度夜间低于白天。光照的昼夜交替和水柱温差的昼夜变化是影响浮游植物总丰度和湖泊假鱼腥藻垂直分布格局昼夜变化的重要环境因素。     

长江口碎波带浮游植物群落结构特征

2009年5月至2010年4月,按月对长江口碎波带浮游植物群落结构和环境因子进行调查。采集到浮游植物64属123种,主要由硅藻、绿藻和蓝藻组成。主要优势种为小环藻,常见种为硅藻门的直链藻（Melosira sp.）、中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）、膜状舟形藻（Navicula membranacea）,蓝藻门的小颤藻（Oscillatoria tenuis）、小席藻（Phormidium tenue）以及绿藻门的小球藻（Chlorella vulgaris）。浮游植物丰度在8.07×10^4cells/L～1.39×10^6cells/L之间,2009年8月最高,12月最低。浮游植物群落在7—8月份主要由蓝藻组成,其他月份主要由硅藻组成。统计分析细胞丰度与环境因子相关性显示：pH值与绿藻门和蓝藻门的细胞丰度显著负相关（P〈0.05,r〈0）,透明度与绿藻门和蓝藻门的细胞丰度显著正相关（P〈0.05,r〉0）;温度与硅藻门的细胞丰度显著负相关（P〈0.05,r〈0）。     

贺兰山东麓荒漠藻结皮微生物群落结构及其演替研究

以宁夏贺兰山东麓荒漠藻结皮为研究对象,对处于不同发育阶段的藻结皮中微生物群落结构及其演替进行了研究。结皮样品高通量测序结果分别得到521个16S rDNA序列操作分类单元(OTU)和64个18S rDNA序列OTU,表明藻结皮中原核微生物多样性远高于真核微生物;贺兰山东麓藻结皮中原核微生物分布于26个纲,Cyanobacteria在各个发育阶段中都是优势微生物类群,Actinobacteria、Chloroplast、Alphaproteobacteria和Bacilli在藻结皮发育的各个阶段相对丰度也较高;从属水平上分析,Bacillus、Leptolyngbya、Microcoleus、Microvirga、Chroococcidiopsis、Rubellimicrobium、Phormidium、Mastigocladopsis、Skermanella、Nostoc、Scytonema共11个属在各个发育阶段的藻结皮中都存在,只是出现了丰度的差异。Bacillus在藻结皮形成期、发育初期和发育中期相对丰度较大,成熟期丰度显著下降,而成熟期Microvirga丰度较前3个时期显著增加,表现出明显的细菌菌群演替现象。藻结皮样品中主要真核微生物分布于13个纲,其中Dothideomycetes和Pezizomycetes在各个发育阶段样品中丰度都很高,Agaricomycetes在形成期样品中相对丰度高达32.6%,但在藻结皮发育过程中其相对丰度迅速下降;原生生物的相对丰度在藻结皮发育过程中逐渐增加;4个发育阶段藻结皮样品中均未检测到真核微藻序列。4个发育阶段的藻结皮样品中有明确分类学信息的真核微生物共13个属,其中4个发育阶段中共有的为Coniothyrium、Dendryphion、Friedmanniomyces、Phloeopeccania、Sarocladium共5个属,其余8个属只在个别发育阶段样品中检出,表明在藻结皮发育过程中真核微生物的群落结构也发生着变化。藻结皮厚度、全氮含量及有机质含量是影响结皮层微生物群落组成的主要因素。     

南亚热带大型贫营养水库浮游植物群落结构与季节变化——以新丰江水库为例

新丰江水库是我国第四大的水库,也是广东省最大的水库和重要的水源地。于2004～2005年2月一次调查了新丰江水库水文、水质和浮游植物分布,分析了浮游植物群落季节动态特征。新丰江水库浮游植物生物量比较低,在0．037—1．497mg&#183;L^-1之间变化。浮游植物种类较多,11次采样共检到158种。在丰度上,水库浮游植物主要以小环藻、蓝纤维藻、小球藻和纤维藻等优势种为主,而在生物量上则以微小多甲藻为优势。浮游植物组成随季节变化而不同,春季以硅藻、甲藻和绿藻为优势类群;夏季以蓝藻、绿藻和硅藻为优势类群;秋季蓝、绿藻减少而硅藻和甲藻增加。2004年的浮游植物季节性变化更为明显,有从硅藻-绿藻优势（2月和4月份）,到蓝藻-绿藻优势（6月和8月份）,到混合优势（10月份）和金藻优势（12月份）这样一个变化过程。2005年硅藻的相对丰度比2004年高出很多。两年浮游植物组成的差异与两年的降水量有关。水动力学对丰水期（6～8月份）浮游植物组成结构有较大影响,导致硅藻和绿藻相对丰度的增加。与温带贫营养型水库相比,新丰江水库的浮游植物群落具有春季和秋季种类多、夏季的蓝藻种类丰富的特点。从细胞大小分布上看,小于20μm浮游植物是生物量的主要贡献者,其次是大于45μm的浮游植物。在粒径小于20μm的浮游植物中,微小多甲藻是最主要的贡献者。浮游植物群落的大小分布受水动力学条件和营养盐浓度动态的影响。     

Physiological characteristics of picophytoplankton, isolated from Lake Kinneret: responses to light and temperature

Two different phylogenetic groups of picophytoplankton, namelypicocyanobacteria and picoeukaryotes, are represented in LakeKinneret. Three species were isolated from the lake and identifiedas the picoeukaryote Mychonastes homosphaera and two picocyanobacteria,Synechococcus sp. A and B. Picocyanobacterial and M. homosphaeracultures grew well at light intensities up to 330 and 700 µmolphotons m^-2 s^-1, respectively, but poorly below 10 µmolphotons m^-2 s^-1. Picocyanobacterial and M. homosphaera culturesphotoacclimated to low light by increasing their chlorophyllper cell through increase in photosynthetic unit (PSU) sizeand PSU numbers, respectively. Growth rates of SynechococcusA and B were higher at temperatures characteristic of summer–autumnin the epilimnion, when maximum abundances of picocyanobacteriaoccur. Growth rates of M. homosphaera were higher at 14°C,corresponding to lake water temperatures during their occurrencein winter–spring. Temperature is a dominant factor influencingthe seasonal dynamics of both picocyanobacteria and picoeukaryotesin Lake Kinneret, while the vertical distribution is controlledby acclimation to different light conditions. Differences intemperature tolerance and photoacclimation suggest that SynechococcusA belongs to picocyanobacteria found in summer below surfacewaters, while Synechococcus B represents picocyanobacteria foundthroughout the year at all depths. Photoacclimation to highlight as shown in M. homosphaera cultures, may account for therelatively high abundance of picoeukaryotes in surface watersin Lake Kinneret.     

Seasonal dynamics of picophytoplankton in Lake Kinneret, Israel

1. Picophytoplankton (picocyanobacteria and picoeukaryotes) communities in Lake Kinneret were studied from 1988 to 1992. No prochlorophytes were observed in the lake. 2. Picocyanobacteria were a prominent and ubiquitous component of the phytoplankton, being present at all depths throughout the year, with concentrations ranging from 2 ± 10–8 ± 10⁵ cells ml^?1. Low cell numbers in winter and spring were followed at the end of the annual dinoflagellate bloom by maximal abundances in summer-autumn in the epilimnion. High cell numbers (> 10⁴ cells ml^?1) were sometimes also found in the anaerobic hypolimnion. Net growth rates for picocyanobacteria ranged from 0.29 to 0.60 divisions day^?1. 3. Picoeukaryotes were a very minor constituent of the picoplankton, mostly present in winter and spring, and sometimes at the end of autumn, with concentrations ranging from 44 to 5700 cells ml^?1. Higher cell numbers tended to occur in the near surface water layers. In August-September, picoeukaryotes were found only in the hypolimnion. In December, the occurrence of picoeukaryotes in the deep water layers probably resulted from advection with cold water currents from the Jordan river. Net growth rates for picoeukaryotes ranged from 0.26 to 0.43 divisions day^?1. 4. Overall, the contribution of picophytoplankton to the phytoplankton standing crop in Lake Kinneret was limited; picocyanobacteria and picoeukaryotes accounted for no more than 7.0 and 0.1% of total algal biomass (semiannual average), respectively. 5. Picophytoplankton cell numbers in pelagic waters were usually similar to those in shallower lake stations. 6. Picocyanobacteria appear to be an autochthonous population, whereas picoeukaryotes are probably brought annually by the Jordan River and do not maintain themselves in the lake.     

A five-year study of autotrophic winter picoplankton in Lake Balaton,Hungary

Picoeukaryotes dominate the phytoplankton of Lake Balaton—the largest shallow lake in Central Europe—in the winter period. We examined the annual dynamics of picoplankton abundance and composition in the lake in order to establish if the picoeukaryotes merely survive the harsher winter conditions or they are able to grow in the ice-covered lake when the entire phytoplankton is limited by low light and temperature. Lake Balaton has an annual temperature range of 1–29°C, and it is usually frozen between December and February for 30–60 days. In the spring-autumn period phycocyanin and phycoerythrin rich Cyanobacteria are the dominant picoplankters, and picoeukaryotes are negligible. Our five-year study shows the presence of three types of picophytoplankton assemblages in Lake Balaton: (1) Phycoerythrin-rich Cyanobacteria—the dominant summer picoplankters in the mesotrophic lake area; (2) Phycocyanin-rich Cyanobacteria—the most abundant summer picoplankters in the eutrophic lake area and; (3) Picoeukaryotes—the dominant winter picoplankters in the whole lake. The observed winter abundance of picoeukaryotes was high (up to 3 × 10⁵ cells ml⁻¹), their highest biomass (520 μg l⁻¹) exceeded the maximum summer biomass of picocyanobacteria (500 μg l⁻¹). Our results indicate that the winter predominance of picoeukaryotes is a regular phenomenon in Lake Balaton, irrespective of the absence or presence of the ice cover. Picoeukaryotes are able to grow at as low as 1–2°C water temperature, while the total phytoplankton biomass show the lowest annual values in the winter period. In agreement with earlier findings, the contribution of picocyanobacteria to the total phytoplankton biomass in Lake Balaton is inversely related to the total phytoplankton biomass, whereas no such relationship was observable in the case of picoeukaryotes.     

Phytoplankton species abundance in Lake Kasumigaura (Japan) monitored monthly or biweekly since 1978

This data paper reports the abundance of phytoplankton species in monthly or biweekly samples collected from May 1978 through March 2010 at two stations on Lake Kasumigaura, a shallow lake that is the second-largest lake in Japan. The data set of quantitatively over several decades is unique among the available published data papers concerning lakes or plankton and continues to be freely available. The monitoring has been performed as a component of the Lake Kasumigaura Long-term Environmental Monitoring program, conducted by the National Institute for Environmental Studies since 1977. The data set details 173 phytoplankton species (or taxa), which can be identified by using an optical microscope and records their abundance. The abundance of each species is expressed in units of volume (??m³) per milliliter of lake water. This approach allows quantitative comparisons among taxa because the cell size of phytoplankton varies by several orders of magnitude among taxa. The phytoplankton data include 39 species (taxa) of Cyanophyta, 67 Chlorophyceae (Chlorophyta), 3 Prasinophyceae (Chlorophyta), 1 Raphidophyceae (Heterokontophyta), 6 Euglenophyceae (Euglenozoa), 4 Dinophyceae (Dinophyta), 38 Bacillariophyceae (Heterokontophyta), 6 Chrysophyceae (Heterokontophyta), 7 Xanthophyceae (Heterokontophyta), 1 Cryptophyceae (Cryptophyta) and 1 Prymnesiophyceae (Haptophyta). The data have been used for ecological and environmental studies and for studies on lake management.     

The phytoplankton of the internal Gulf of Olbia (North-East Sardinia) between July 1992 and July 1993

Abstract

The density variations and phytoplankton structure of the internal Gulf of Olbia (north-east Sardinia) from July 1992 to July 1993 are described.

The most important class was the Bacillariophyceae, because it accounted for the maximum values and because it dominated over about one-third of the study cycle. The picoplankton was present practically all the year round with the greatest development from September to March. Prymnesiophyceae, Dinophyceae, Cyanophyceae and Euglenophyceae were found more numerously in summer and autumn 1992 than in the rest of the year, while Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae and Chrysophyceae were mostly found in spring and summer 1993.

Among the 16 species that expressed the highest mean yearly density values (greater than 1×10⁴ cell I^-1), 10 were Bacillariophyceae, 2 Dinophyceae, 3 Chrysophyceae and 1 Chlorophycea. The Bacillariophyceae have also been the dominant class in floristic terms (49 taxa on 95 total), followed by the Dinophyceae (26), the Chlorophyceae (5), the Chrysophyceae (5), the Prymnesiophyceae (4), the Prasinophyceae (2), the Euglenophyceae (2) and the Cyanophyceae (2).     

Phytoplankton communities of North African wetland lakes: the CASSARINA Project

Seasonal variations in phytoplankton species composition (frequencies) and densities (cell numbers) in nine North African coastal lakes selected in Morocco (Merja Sidi Bou Rhaba, Zerga and Bokka), Tunisia (Chitane, Ichkeul and Korba lakes) and Egypt (Edku, Burullus and Manzala lakes) were investigated during 1998. The main aim was to provide gase-line information about overall phytoplankton diversity and how phytoplanktoncharacteristics differ between these contrasting aquatic systems.Water samples were collected at approximately three monthly intervals and phytoplankton analysis revealed marked seasonal and spatial differences in the quantitative and qualitative composition of the communities at each site. The Egyptian lakes generally had larger crops (Manzala and Burullus had mean crop densities of more than 104 cells ml^–1) but in the western North African sites only Korba and Sidi Bou Rhaba had closely comparable densities. Algae belonging to Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Dinophyceae and Euglenophyceae were recorded. Taxa representative of all these algal groups occurred in two lakes (Korba and Manzala) but at the other seven sites only some of the groups were present.The Chlorophyceae was the most dominant group in lakes Burullus, Manzala, Korba and Sidi Bou Rhaba whereas Bacillariophyceae were dominant in lakes Zerga, Bokka and Edku. In Ichkeul and acidic Chitane the Dinophyceae and the Cyanophyceae were the dominant groups, respectively. The maximum percentage of Euglenophyceae occurred in Edku Lake but this group was absent in Sidi Bou Rhaba and Ichkeul. Cyanophyceans were present in significant numbers in all investigated lakes except in Ichkeul. A total of fifty-three genera were recorded, 17 of Chlorophyceae, 18 of Bacillariophyceae, 11 of Cyanophyceae, 3 of Chrysophyceae, 2 of Euglenophyceae and 2 of Dinophyceae. The maximum number of species (34) occurred in Burullus Lake and the minimum (6) in Ichkeul Lake. Only one lake (acidic Chitane) possessed species indicative of oligotrophic conditions. The Nile Delta lakes were the most species diverse sites.The phytoplankton communities of the nine North African lakes were composed entirely of cosmopolitan species but with one new species (Cyclotella choctawatcheeana) was recorded for the region. The data presented provide a contemporary account of the levels of algal diversity present in these sites at the end of the 20th century. The relevance of phytoplankton communities to assessment of lake status and future monitoring studies in the region is emphasised.     

Contrasting roles of water chemistry, lake morphology, land-use, climate and spatial processes in driving phytoplankton richness in the Danish landscape

Understanding of the forces driving the structure of biotic communities has long been an important focus for ecology, with implications for applied and conservation science. To elucidate the factors driving phytoplankton genus richness in the Danish landscape, we analyzed data derived from late-summer samplings in 195 Danish lakes and ponds in a spatially-explicit framework. To account for the uneven sampling of lakes in the monitoring data, we performed 1,000 permutations. A random set of 131 lakes was assembled and a single sample was selected randomly for each lake at each draw and all the analyses were performed on permuted data 1,000 times. The local environment was described by lake water chemistry, lake morphology, land-use in lake catchments, and climate. Analysis of the effects of four groups of environmental factors on the richness of the main groups of phytoplankton revealed contrasting patterns. Lake water chemistry was the strongest predictor of phytoplankton richness for all groups, while lake morphology also had a strong influence on Bacillariophyceae, Cyanobacteria, Dinophyceae, and Euglenophyceae richness. Climate and land-use in catchments contributed only little to the explained variation in phytoplankton richness, although both factors had a significant effect on Bacillariophyceae richness. Notably, total nitrogen played a more important role for phytoplankton richness than total phosphorus. Overall, models accounted for ca. 30% of the variation in genus richness for all phytoplankton combined as well as the main groups separately. Local spatial structure (<30 km) in phytoplankton richness suggested that connectivity among lakes and catchment-scale processes might also influence phytoplankton richness in Danish lakes.     

Changes in the phytoplankton community of a coastal,hyposaline lake in western Anatolia,Turkey

The phytoplankton composition of coastal, hyposaline (≅12 g l⁻¹) Lake Bafa in western Turkey, was investigated after the alteration of salinity levels in past decades. Lake Bafa, formerly a bay of the Aegean Sea, was separated from the sea as a result of alluvium deposits of the Meander River. After the construction of a sett for flood control in 1985, freshwater inflow was reduced and salinity increased, which caused some ecological changes. Phytoplankton samples were taken in August and November 2000, and February and May 2001, from the surface and at 5-m intervals in the water column at three stations. The phytoplankton community contained a mixture of freshwater and marine origin species. A total of 45 species from Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Chrysophyceae, and Dinophyceae were identified. Marineoriginated species such as Chaetoceros spp. (November and May), Thalassionema nitzschioides and Prorocentrum micans (August and November), and P. minimum (May) were dominant on the basis of numerical abundance. The occurrence of salinity-tolerant species such as T. nitzschioides, P. micans, and P. minimum has not been recorded in previous studies.     

Winter bloom of picoeukaryotes in Hungarian shallow turbid soda pans and the role of light and temperature

The seasonal dynamics of picophytoplankton communities in shallow turbid alkaline pans in Hungary was studied between July 2006 and May 2007. Similarly to other aquatic environments in the temperate zone, dominance of picocyanobacteria was observed in summer and that of picoeukaryotes in winter. The mild winter in 2006–2007, with midday water temperatures of 5–10°C, resulted in large winter phytoplankton blooms (maximum chlorophyll a concentration 800 μg l^?1) in the shallow pans. The phytoplankton was composed of single-celled picoeukaryotes and had a maximum of 108 × 10⁶ cells ml^?1 in Büdös-szék pan, 50 × 10⁶ cells ml^?1 in Kelemen-szék pan in April 2007, and 47 × 10⁶ cells ml^?1 in Zab-szék pan in March 2007. In order to explain the winter dominance of picoeukaryotes, we isolated picoeukaryotic and picocyanobacterial strains and determined the temperature and light dependence of their photosynthesis. Under temperatures <15°C, the photosynthetic activity of the picoeukaryotic strain was higher and their light utilization was better than those of the picocyanobacterial strain. The results indicate that low temperature and light intensity in winter provide a competitive advantage to picoeukaryotes, while higher temperatures and light intensity are more favorable for picocyanobacteria.     

Effect of fluctuations in water level on phytoplankton development in three lakes of the Paraná river floodplain (Argentina)

The effect of fluctuations in water level on phytoplankton development (abundance, biomass, size structure, taxonomic composition, species diversity and rate of community compositional change) in three vegetated lakes of the Paraná River floodplain (27° 27′?S; 58° 55′?W) were studied. Between September 1995 and June 1996 there were two inputs of lotic water. Ordering of physical and chemical parameters (Principal Component Analysis) allowed the differentiation of two phases: I) without lotic influence (limnophase) and II) with lotic influence (potamophase). Two-hundred fifty-eight algal taxa were identified, of which Euglenophyceae showed the highest number of taxa (65% of total). Small Chlorophyceae and Cryptophyceae (C-strategists) predominated in density in both periods. During potamophase, the input of nutrients from a flood event produced an increase in algal biomass and a shift in phytoplankton composition from a Chlorophyceae (C-strategists), to a Cyanophyceae and Euglenophyceae (S-strategists), dominated comunity. Bacillariophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Dinophyceae and Xanthophyceae were best represented during limnophase. All phytoplankton attributes showed significant differences between phases (limnophase vs potamophase) but not among lakes. These results support the hypothesis that hydrology (floods) clearly exerts an overall impact on the phytoplankton community composition in lakes of the Paraná River floodplain. Hydrology effects the lake water chemistry, conditioned by the isolation time prior to a flood, the horizontal dragging and exchange of algae during floods, and the water residence time and aquatic vegetation coverage.