Effects of cooling water discharge on the structure and dynamics of epilithic algal communities in the northern Baltic

The Forsmark Biotest Basin is a shallow coastal ecosystem that receives brackish cooling-water discharge from a nuclear power plant. The effects of the discharge on epilithic algal communities were investigated by analysing samples taken every third week throughout one year at 11 sites differentially affected by temperature and/or flow rate enhancement. Community variation was summarized in a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of species abundances as a function of site and date. The temperature increase favoured blue-green algae at the expense of red and brown algae. Blue-green algae were however abundant in summer in stagnant water, whether heated or not, and some red and brown algae became abundant in winter in heated sites with flowing water. Green algae and diatoms increased in biomass in the heated sites, but not in relative cover-abundance. The absence of ice and snow cover at sites with heated and/or flowing water caused autumn species to persist into winter, because of the higher light intensity (compared with natural conditions) and the absence of the mechanical abrasion by ice. The thermal discharge lowered species diversity (Shannon-Weaver index) both in summer and winter at sites with flowing water, but not at sites with quiescent or stagnant water. CCA showed alternate periods of stability and rapid change within the seasonal cycle. Individual species were placed according to their optimum; red and brown algae in winter/spring, green algae in spring/summer, blue-green algae in summer, and diatoms at various times. Exceptions to this pattern were species endo- or epiphytic on species of a different group. Analysis of the effects of temperature, flow rate and ice cover on the seasonal pattern of particular species showed that different species respond in individualistic ways to different combinations of these environmental variables.     

Assessing the vulnerability of endemic diatom species in Lake Baikal to predicted future climate change: a multivariate approach

Diatoms in Lake Baikal exhibit significant spatial variation, related to prevailing climate, lake morphology and fluvial input into the lake. Here we have assessed the threats to endemic planktonic diatom species (through the development of empirical models), which form a major component of primary production within the lake. Multivariate techniques employed include redundancy analysis (RDA) and Huisman–Olff–Fresco (HOF) models. Our analyses suggest that eight environmental variables were significant in explaining diatom distribution across the lake, and in order of importance these are snow thickness on the ice, water depth, duration of days with white ice, suspended matter in the lake, days of total ice duration, temperature of the water surface in July, concentration of zooplankton and suspended organic matter. Impacts on dominant phytoplankton diatom species are highlighted using t‐value biplots. Predictions of future climate change on Lake Baikal are likely to result in shorter periods of ice cover, decreased snow cover across the lake in spring, increased fluvial input into the lake, and an increase in the intensification of surface water stratification during summer months. All these factors are likely to impact negatively on the slow‐growing, cold‐water endemics such as Aulacoseira baicalensis and Cyclotella minuta, which currently dominate diatom assemblages. Instead, taxa that are only intermittently abundant, at present, in offshore areas (e.g. Stephanodiscus meyerii) are likely to become more frequent. However, given the climatic gradient across the lake, the timing and extent of changes in community structure are likely to vary. Moreover, palaeolimnological records show that Lake Baikal diatom assemblages have been dynamic throughout the Holocene, with both endemic and cosmopolitan species exhibiting periods of dominance. Effects of climate change on the entire lake ecosystem may yet be profound as the structure of the pelagic food web may change from one based on endemic diatom taxa to one dominated by nondiatom picoplankton, and as limnological functioning (e.g. stratification and mixing) affects deepwater oxygen availability, nutrient cycling and trophic linkages.     

Distribution patterns of epilithic diatoms along climatic,spatial and physicochemical variables in the Baltic Sea

The species richness and community composition of the diatom communities were studied in the Baltic Sea, Northern Europe, to enhance knowledge about the diversity of these organisms in a brackish water ecosystem. Many organisms in the Baltic Sea have been studied extensively, but studies investigating littoral diatoms are scarce. The goal of this study was to examine the importance of climatic, spatial and water physicochemical variables as drivers of epilithic diatoms in the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. The variation in species richness was best explained by pH, total phosphorus and total nitrogen. Redundancy Analysis indicated that the most important factors correlating with species composition were air temperature, silicon, total phosphorus, water temperature, salinity and pH. Variation Partitioning showed that the species composition was mostly affected by climatic and spatial variables, whereas physicochemical variables had little impact. However, the strongest factor was the combined influence of climatic, spatial and physicochemical variables. The results suggest that diatom species richness in the northern Baltic Sea is primarily regulated by local factors, while climatic and spatial variables have little impact on richness. Species composition is mostly affected by climatic and spatial variables. We conclude that understanding the distribution patterns of Baltic Sea diatoms requires the inclusion of climatic, spatial and water chemistry variables.     

Seasonal variation in biomass and photosynthetic activity of epilithic algae on a rock at the upper littoral area in the north basin of Lake Biwa, Japan

Vertical distributions of biomass and the photosynthetic activity of epilithic algae were observed seasonally with regard to their physical and chemical parameters along a rocky shoreline of the upper littoral area in the north basin of Lake Biwa. Chlorophyll a amounts in epilithic algae showed a marked change with depth from spring to early summer. The algal biomass showed higher values on the lower part of a large rock in early spring, and gradually increased on the upper part as a result of the growth of Spirogyra sp., a filamentous Chlorophyceae. This growth seems to be associated with a rise in water temperature, with the biomass at the upper depths seeming to be affected by a hydraulic disturbance. The standing crop of epilithic algae showed a maximum value in June and declined to a minimum in August because of the corresponding proliferation or disappearance of Spirogyra as well as changes in the water level. The maximum value of the assimilation number calculated from the potential photosynthetic rate of epilithic algae was obtained at the lower depths in June when Spirogyra grew vigorously. Appreciably high assimilation numbers were also observed in summer and fall, although chlorophyll a amounts were low. The present study is the first in a series to clarify the contribution of epilithic algae on rocky areas to productivity throughout the entire littoral ecosystem.     

Sampler collection gadget for epilithic diatoms

This work present a new gadget for sampling epilithic diatoms from both lentic and lotic enviroments. The sampler consists of a polystyrene cylinder, left to float on the surface of the water, to which stone substrates are attached. This epilithic diatom sampler (EDS) can be used to detect spatial and temporal richness and density variation in the study of the diatom community, as well as in water quality monitoring.     

Sea ice seasonality during the Holocene, Adélie Land, East Antarctica

Thin sections of laminated cores from different Antarctic coastal areas have demonstrated the potential of diatom species to document climate change at the seasonal scale. Here we present the relative abundances of four diatom species and species groups (Fragilariopsis curta group as a proxy for yearly sea ice cover, F. kerguelensis as a proxy for summer sea-surface temperature, Chaetoceros Hyalochaete resting spores as a proxy for spring sea ice melting and the Thalassiosira antarctica group as a proxy for autumn sea ice formation) in core MD03-2601 retrieved off Adélie Land on the Antarctic continental shelf. These abundances were compared to surface temperatures and sea ice cover modelled over the last 9000 years. Both the marine records and the simulated climate demonstrated a cooler Early Holocene (9000–7700 years BP), a warmer Mid-Holocene (7700–4000 years BP) and a colder Late Holocene (4000–1000 years BP). Yearly sea ice cover followed an inverse pattern to temperatures with less sea ice during the Mid-Holocene Hypsithermal than during the Late Holocene Neoglacial. However, diatom census counts and model output indicate that sea ice spring melting happened earlier in the season, as expected, but that autumn sea ice formation also occurred earlier in the season during the Hypsithermal than during the colder Neoglacial, thereby following seasonal changes in local insolation.     

Effects of recent climate change on phytoplankton phenology in a temperate lake

1. A number of long-term studies have shown that spring biological events have advanced in recent decades and that this is a response to climate change. In lentic systems, changes in phytoplankton phenology have been attributed to various directly climate-related processes including changes in the onset and duration of thermal stratification, earlier ice-break up and increased water temperature. Both indirect climatic drivers and non-climate drivers such as elevated grazing pressure and nutrient enrichment can also affect phenology.
2. This study investigated whether phenological trends in phytoplankton could be detected in a relatively short time series in a shallow, ice-free, polymictic lake with a high annual discharge and whether any such trends could be causally explained.
3. It was found that the centre of gravity of the spring chlorophyll a bloom advanced significantly by 1.6 days per year over a 15-year period. This was accompanied by a significant increase in water temperature of 0.12 °C per year which is high compared to published rates of change over longer time series. No direct effects of ice cover, stratification or water discharge rates could be linked to the advancement of the spring bloom. Instead, the shift in timing was attributed to an advance in the timing of the dominant spring diatom, Aulacoseira spp., instigated by a temperature-driven increase in replication rate leading to an earlier onset of silica (SiO₂) limitation.     

A mesocosm study of physical-biological interactions in artificial sea ice: effects of brine channel surface evolution and brine movement on algal biomass

The impact of changing physico-chemical boundary conditions in sea ice on biological processes was investigated during a 20-day-long simulated freeze-melt cycle in an 180-m³ mesocosm filled with artificial seawater and addition of a mixed Arctic sea-ice community. Ice formation started at T_air of -15°C with a growth rate of 0.7-1.2 mm h^-1 for 10 days. The last 10 days (T_air of=-5°C), ice thickness remained around 20 cm. Ice temperature gradients inside the ice were linear and determined brine salinities. Brine was collected by means of centrifugation and its volume ranged from 5 to 30% of total ice volume. Surface areas of interconnected brine channels were determined with two similar techniques and maximum values ranged between 1.5 and 4.8 m² kg^-1ice. Measurements determined with a modified method varied considerably and differed by a maximal factor of 2.0-6.5. Brine channel surfaces increased during the experiment as a result of the warming of the ice. The inoculated algal community was dominated by flagellates <10 µm. The low diatom biomass increased in the ice after the air temperature rise with rates comparable to field data (µ=0.2-0.3 day^-1). Comparison with brine salinities points towards the hypothesis of vertical brine stability being a controlling factor for ice algal growth. We infer from brine channel surface measurements that persistence of brine channel surfaces during spring might be an important prerequisite for the commencement of net diatom biomass accumulation. Advantages and limitations of mesoscale mesocosms as alternatives in ice biological work are discussed.     

Holocene paleoclimate change in the Antarctic Peninsula: evidence from the diatom,sedimentary and geochemical record

Holocene, marine deposition in Lallemand Fjord, Antarctic Peninsula, is reinterpreted using statistical analyses (cluster analysis, analysis of variance, nonmetric multidimensional scaling and multiple regression) to compare diatom assemblages and the primary sedimentological proxies. The assemblages have been deposited in a variable sea ice zone over the last ca. 10,500 yr BP in response to a climate change. In the Late Pleistocene/early Holocene (10,580–7890 yr BP), a sea ice diatom assemblage was deposited in the presence of a retreating ice shelf at the head of the fjord. In the mid Holocene (7890–3850 yr BP), an open water assemblage was deposited and sea ice cover was at a minimum. We associate the assemblage with climatic warming, which characterizes much of the Antarctic Peninsula during this time. A second sea ice assemblage, different from that deposited in the early Holocene, has been deposited in Lallemand Fjord since the late Holocene (<3850 yr BP). The assemblage reflects Neoglacial cooling, an increase in sea ice extent and/or an advance of the Müller Ice Shelf.     

Seasonality and distribution of epilithic diatoms,macroalgae and macrophytes in a spring-fed stream system in Ontario,Canada

A study of the epilithic diatom, macroalgal and macrophyte communities from a spring-fed stream in Ontario, Canada was undertaken from September 1996 to July 1997. The relative abundance of the epilithic diatom flora, percent cover of macroalgal and macrophyte taxa, and several physical and chemical stream conditions were monitored along a 20-m stretch at each of four sites, approximately every 2 months. Several stream conditions were relatively constant over the sampling period (pH, maximum width and maximum depth), while others exhibited a distinct seasonal pattern (water temperature, specific conductance and daylength) and some fluctuated strongly with no discernable seasonal pattern (turbidity, current velocity). A total of 124 taxa were identified from the four sites, including 79 epilithic diatoms, three macroalgal diatom species (large gelatinous masses), one cyanobacterium, two red algae, eight green algae, one chrysophyte alga, one tribophyte alga, three mosses, three horsetails and 23 angiosperm taxa. Species richness was positively correlated to stream channel maximum width and depth, indicating that the total number of species tends to increase in a downstream direction. Distribution of several diatom and macroalgal species was significantly correlated to stream conditions (e.g. Gomphonema parvulum and Phormidium subfuscum with current velocity); however, the vast majority of species did not display seasonal variation in abundance that could be explained by changes in stream conditions. Many of the taxa identified from Blue Springs Creek are common elsewhere in North America.     

The lake ecosystem of Øvre Heimdalsvatn

The Norwegian subalpine lake. Øvre Heimdalsvatn, has a surface area of 0.78 km² and a maximum depth of 13 m. It is ice-covered for 7.5–8 months, has a marked spring spate and a mean annual renewal period of about two months. The water is poor in electrolytes. Intensive studies have been made by an interdisciplinary team of the lake's physical and chemical properties, primary production and secondary production under the auspices of IBP/PF from 1969 to 1973, Allochthonous material accounted for 1/3 of utilized plant input. The major lake predator, the brown trout, fed largely on benthic organisms and did not exploit the zooplankton biomass. On account of the long period of ice cover and the rapid rise in temperature after ice break, many organisms (both planktonic and benthic) showed synchronous development. Abiotic conditions, such as the nature of the spring spate and the temperature rise, strongly affect species and community development.     

Long-term fluctuations of soft-bottom intertidal community structure affected by ice cover at two small sea bights in the Chupa Inlet (Kandalaksha Bay) of the White Sea

The effect on bottom organisms of periodic freezing of the upper layer of intertidal sediments during abnormal cold winters has been studied for a long time in seas of a moderate climatic zone. However, the effect of ice cover every year on intertidal communities in polar seas is still poorly investigated. Seasonal and long-term variation in the structure of intertidal soft-bottom communities in two small bights in the White Sea with annual ice cover was studied for over two decades. Sampling was carried out four times a year, in the hydrological spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It was found that bottom macrobenthic communities at upper and lower horizons of the intertidal distinctly differed in the studied sites. Periodic changes caused by the effect of abnormal ice conditions, including the partial removal by ice of sediment with in situ organisms, were discovered. Recovery of communities after disturbance normally took less than half a year. Communities at the lower and upper horizons of the intertidal zone were more stable than intermediate communities, which led to periodic shifts of the biological border between lower and upper intertidal assemblages.     

三峡库区古夫河着生藻类叶绿素a的时空分布特征及其影响因素

古夫河系长江三峡水库湖北省境内香溪河的一条支流,发源于神农架林区并最终汇入三峡水库香溪河库湾,是流域生态学研究的热点水体。本文对古夫河2010年9月至2011年8月干流及主要支流21个样点的着生藻类叶绿素a和14项环境因子进行了调查,采用多元统计方法对调查数据进行了方差分析、聚类分析、偏相关分析和逐步回归分析,研究了着生藻类叶绿素a的时空分布特征及其主要环境影响因子。结果表明：叶绿素a含量范围为0.07—145.96 mg/m2,平均值为11.63 mg/m2。不同样点的叶绿素a含量差异显著,其中古夫河干流上游低于下游,支流竹园河上游高于下游,表现为人为影响大的区域高于人为影响小的区域;不同季节着生藻类叶绿素a含量差异显著,表现出冬春季高、夏秋季低的趋势。古夫河着生藻类叶绿素a与总磷和硬度呈极显著正相关,与电导率、氨氮和总氮呈显著正相关,而与流速呈极显著负相关;水体总磷是古夫河流域着生藻类生长的第一限制因子,流速对着生藻类的生长具有显著抑制作用;古夫河着生藻类生物量空间格局可能由其生境尺度（营养盐）和流域尺度（硬度和电导率）的特征决定,而古夫河着生藻类生物量时间变化主要受水动力（流速）的影响。     

Seasonal distribution and fatty acid composition of littoral microalgae in the Yenisei River

We studied fatty acid (FA) composition of littoral microalgae in the fast-flowing oligotrophic river, the Yenisei, Siberia, monthly for 3 years. Seasonal dynamics of species composition had similar patterns in all the studied years. In springs, a pronounced dominance of filamentous green algae occurred, in summer and autumn diatoms were abundant, and in late autumn and winter epilithic biofilms consisted primarily of cyanobacteria and detritus. In general, FA composition of the algal periphytic community was dominated by 16:0, 16:1ω7, 20:5ω3, 14:0, and 18:3ω3 throughout the studied period. Several groups of FAs, which had peculiar seasonal dynamics, were differentiated by statistical analysis based on a method of correlation graphs. The seasonal changes in FA composition could be partly explained by the seasonal succession of species composition of the community. Besides, we found that populations of both diatom and green algae grown in summer at a higher water temperature were lower in polyunsaturated fatty acids than those in spring, at a lower temperature. Hence, we suppose that the regular seasonal dynamics of FA composition of the studied littoral microalgae was driven both by changes in species composition and by temperature adaptations of the algal populations. The highest content of essential polyunsaturated FAs, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, in the spring “psychrophilic” populations of diatoms could make them of the higher nutritive value for zoobenthic primary consumers.     

Responses of Epilithic Diatom Communities to Environmental Gradients in Some Finnish Rivers

Responses of the epilithic diatom communities to environmental gradients were analysed at 135 river stations in Finland. In addition, the biological quality of the water was evaluated using diatoms in five rivers having different types of human pressures. According to CCA, conductivity, total P, pH and humus content had the most significant effect on the diatom community structure. The ratio of the constrained axis (λ₁) and first unconstrained axis (λ₂) was highest for conductivity (1.21), total P (0.83) and pH (0.67). Physical factors had somewhat weaker effects. Five different diatom community types were separated in chemically different rivers using ordination. The effects of purified sewage on diatom‐inferred water quality estimates were strongest in late summer. The effects of cattle‐farming and cultivation were difficult to separate.     

Biomass and structure of planktonic communities along an air temperature gradient in subarctic Sweden

1. Air temperature will probably have pronounced effects on the composition of plankton communities in northern lake ecosystems, either via indirect effects on the export of essential elements from catchments or through direct effects of water temperature and the ice‐free period on the behaviour of planktonic organisms. 2. We assessed the role of temperature by comparing planktonic communities in 15 lakes along a 6 °C air temperature gradient in subarctic Sweden. 3. We found that the biomass of phytoplankton, bacterioplankton and the total planktonic biomass were positively related to air temperature, probably as a result of climatic controls on the export of nitrogen from the catchment (which affects phytoplankton biomass) and dissolved organic carbon (affecting bacterioplankton biomass). 4. The structure of the zooplankton community, and top down effects on phytoplankton, were apparently not related to temperature but mainly to trophic interactions ultimately dependent on the presence of fish in the lakes. 5. Our results suggest that air temperature regimes and long‐term warming can have strong effects on the planktonic biomass in high latitude lakes. Effects of temperature on the structure of the planktonic community might be less evident unless warming permits the invasion of fish into previous fishless lakes.     

博斯腾湖浮游植物群落结构特征及其影响因子分析

2011年对博斯腾湖大湖区17个采样站位的浮游植物及水体主要理化因子进行了4次系统调查。结果表明, 在17个站位共鉴定出浮游植物127种（属）, 其中优势种（属）9种。浮游植物群落全年均以硅藻为主导, 冬、春季节, 浮游植物组成呈硅藻-甲藻型, 优势类群主要为贫-中营养型浮游藻类, 到夏、秋季节逐渐形成硅藻-绿藻型, 以富营养型的浮游藻类为优势类群。浮游植物总平均生物量为（2.512.95） mg/L, 生物量季节变动显著, 峰值出现在夏季, 冬季最低。基于Canoco的多变量分析表明: 环境变量共解释了浮游植物群落总变异的54.5%, 水温是影响浮游植物分布最重要的环境因子, 其次为枝角类丰度。水中氮含量是影响浮游植物丰度的主要因子, 同时浮游植物对水体有机物含量也有较大的影响。       

Stream epilithic, epipelic and epiphytic diatoms: habitat fidelity and use in biomonitoring

We compared the use of epilithic, epiphytic, and epipelic diatom communities in stream biomonitoring by investigating species composition and relationships with measured water quality variables in two tributaries of the Grand River, Ontario, Canada. Although ordination showed some separation of the epilithon from other habitats, clear habitat preferences and seasonality were not identified. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that measured water quality variables explained the major gradients in the diatom data for all three habitats. The diatoms from each habitat were strongly related to alkalinity, suspended solids, biological oxygen demand and conductivity, and in addition, epipelic and epiphytic diatoms showed significant relationships with total phosphorus. It was concluded that although some species were more abundant in one habitat than the others, the community structure of the epilithic, epiphytic and epipelic habitats from these streams was not consistently different. The results indicate no apparent benefit to sampling discrete habitats for water quality monitoring using diatoms, however, the best relationship are obtained using the sum of the diatom data from all three habitats.     

Seasonal variation of phytoplankton community structure and nitrogen uptake regime in the Indian Sector of the Southern Ocean

This study investigates the dynamics of phytoplankton communities and nitrogen uptake in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean during spring and summer. The study area is oligotrophic (Chl a stocks <50 mg m⁻²); nevertheless, a large spatial variation of phytoplankton biomass and community structure was observed. During both seasons the phytoplankton community in the seasonal ice zone showed higher biomasses and was mainly composed of large diatom cells. However, in the permanently open ocean zone the community had low biomass and was chiefly composed of nano- and picoflagellates. In the polar front zone, although biomass was higher, the community structure was similar to the open ocean zone. The results suggest that the variation in phytoplankton community structure on a larger scale resonates with gradients in water column stability and nutrient distribution. However, significant changes in biomass and nutrient stocks but little change in community structure were observed. Absolute nitrogen uptake rates were generally low, but their seasonal variations were highly significant. During spring the communities displayed high specific nitrate uptake (mean rate = 0.0048 h⁻¹), and diatoms (in the seasonal ice zone) as well as nano- and picoflagellates (in the permanently open ocean zone and polar front zone) were mainly based on new production (mean ƒ-ratio = 0.69). The transition to summer was accompanied by a significant reduction in nitrate uptake rate (0.0048 h⁻¹ → 0.0011 h⁻¹) and a shift from predominantly new to regenerated production (ƒ-ratio 0.69 → 0.39). Ammonium played a major role in the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton nutrition. The results emphasize that, despite a large contrast in community structure, the seasonal dynamics of the nitrogen uptake regime and phytoplankton community structure in all three subsystems were similar. Additionally, this study supports our previous conclusion that the seasonal shift in nitrogen uptake regime can occur with, as well as without, marked changes in community structure. Received: 2 December 1997 / Accepted: 20 April 1998     

西江下游浮游植物群落周年变化模式

西江肇庆段是珠江干流汇入珠三角河网水域的咽喉通道,对2009年该江段的浮游植物群落组成及变化进行系统阐析.调查期间共发现浮游植物7门,245种(包括变种、变型),其中硅藻和绿藻是浮游植物群落组成的最主要类群,分别占总种数的42.44％和34.69％,其次是裸藻和蓝藻.PCA分析结果显示,浮游植物各类群的种类丰富度和生物量的周年变化趋势主要受水温和径流量的影响.浮游植物种类丰富度的周年变化呈现明显的高温季节高,低温季节低的特征,除因大多数藻类物种直接喜好高温之外,径流量的增大有助于真浮游绿藻种类的外源注入及半浮游和偶然性浮游硅藻种类的增加.浮游植物生物量的周年变化呈现明显的双峰型,峰值分别出现在8月和11月.然而8月份第1个高峰出现之前,生物量波动不大,尽管水温的升高有助于生物量的增加,但是径流量增大所带来的稀释作用掩盖了水温上升对浮游植物生长的促进作用.真浮游植物生物量的变化趋势和数值与总浮游植物极其接近,主要得益于真浮游硅藻物种颗粒直链藻在总种群中的绝对优势地位.综上,水温升高对浮游植物种类丰富度和生物量的增长均有促进,径流量的增大虽然有助于种类丰富度的增加,但不利于生物量的增加.