Probing Diversity in the Plankton: Using Patterns in Tintinnids (Planktonic Marine Ciliates) to Identify Mechanisms

In diversity research, the use of survey data appears to have declined in favour of experimental or modeling approaches because direct relationships are difficult to demonstrate. Here we show that use of field data can yield information concerning the mechanisms governing diversity. First, we establish that tintinnids display a global latitudinal pattern of diversity similar to other pelagic organisms; species numbers appear to peak between 20° and 30° north or south. This common large scale spatial trend has been attributed to the gradient in water column structure across the global ocean. We then examine the generality of a relationship between planktonic diversity and water column structure by considering data from the Mediterranean Sea, in which water column structure changes seasonally. Among populations of foraminifera, tintinnids, and the dinoflagellates of the genus Ceratium, we compare data from trans-Mediterranean sampling conducted at different times and monthly changes in species richness at single sites. We find that water column structure alone appears to be a poor predictor of temporal changes in diversity. Lastly, we present an example of temporal changes in tintinnid diversity based on data from an oceanographic sampling station in the N. W. Mediterranean where resources, as chlorophyll, appear distinctly unrelated to changes in water column structure. We show that short-tem temporal changes in diversity (week to week shifts) can be related to changes in chlorophyll concentration. We conclude that in tintinnids diversity can be directly linked to characteristics of food resources.     

CHLOROPHYLL-a CONCENTRATION IN THE LOWER KAFUE RIVER AND CHONGWE RIVER BASINS

SUMMARY

The concentration of chlorophyll a was measured in the warm monomictic impoundment, Itezhi-tezhi Lake ([xbar] = 2,00 mg m^?3); in the small, slightly polluted Chongwe Dam ([xbar] = 11,0 mg m^?3); and in the temporary Mungasiya River ([xbar] = 53,4 mg m^?3). The average standing crop of the periphyton of green filamentous algae in the Chongwe River reached 28,3 mg m^?2. The highest concentrations of chlorophyll ([xbar] = 69,6 mg m^?2) were found in the Cyanophyta community of the extreme biotope of Longola Hot Springs.     

Effects of barley straw (Hordeum vulgare) on freshwater and brackish phytoplankton and cyanobacteria

A short-term laboratory study was conductedto investigate the effect of barley strawin controlling several common phytoplanktonand cyanobacterial species. Following aone-month incubation of barley straw incoarsely filtered fresh Potomac River andbrackish Patuxent River waters, the growthof six autotrophic taxa was followed inculture. Barley straw slurry reduced theyield of three taxa (Ankistrodesmusfalcatus, Chlorella capsulata, Isochrysis sp.) in comparison withcultures not receiving the slurry. Although no significant changes in growthwere detected with three other taxa (Cyclotella sp., Prorocentrumminimum, freshwater Pseudanabaenasp.), some patterns indicated potentialimpacts of the barley straw. First, ahigher addition of straw to Cyclotella sp. resulted in a lower biomassaccumulation than in cultures receivinglower levels. Second, the bloom-formingdinoflagellate Prorcentrum minimumwas apparently stimulated at low barleystraw levels, perhaps suggesting conditionsassociated with the straw(metals-chelation, bacterial-producednutrients) might stimulate dinoflagellategrowth. Third, species shifts wereobserved in two of the cultures, withbarley straw favoring shifts from Isochrysis to a Cyclotella sp. –Thalassiosira sp. mixture and shiftsfrom Pseudanabaena to a Pseudanabaena – Scenedesmus mixture. These results provide new records for thesusceptibility of freshwater and brackishphytoplankton taxa to barley strawexposure, including species-specificresponses and shifts in species dominancein mixed assemblages.     

白洋淀附着藻类的初级生产力及其与水质的关系

附着藻类是湖泊中主要的生产者,尤其是草型湖泊。但与浮游藻类相比,针对附着藻类初级生产的研究还相对较少。采用原位调查与实验模拟相结合的方法测定2014—2015年间白洋淀附植藻类和附泥藻类的现存量和初级生产力,并对附着藻类初级生产与白洋淀水体理化参数的关系进行分析。结果表明,不同采样季节的附植藻类和附泥藻类的叶绿素a分别为34.83—245.22μg/cm~2和26.08—297.40μg/cm~2,无灰干重分别为0.46—5.21g/m~2和0.61—5.81g/m~2。两种附着藻类的生物量都在8月最高,4月和11月最低。空间分布上,南刘庄、府河入口的附着藻类生物量显著高于采蒲台和枣林庄。白洋淀附植藻类和附泥藻类的年均总初级生产分别为494.20mg C m~(-2)d~(-1)和474.45mg C m~(-2)d~(-1),呼吸速率为522.63mg C m~(-2)d~(-1)和508.98mg C m~(-2)d~(-1),净初级生产为-28.44mg C m~(-2)d~(-1)和-34.52mg C m~(-2)d~(-1)。白洋淀附着藻类初级生产力具有明显的时空分布规律,8月最高,6月次之,4月和11月最低,空间分布呈自西向东递减的趋势,在府河入淀口和南刘庄处最高,枣林庄和采蒲台最低。水质较好的区域的净初级生产力为正值,表明这些区域附着藻类以自养型群落为主,水质较差区域的净初级生产力为负值,则该区域以异养型群落为主。运用冗余分析法(RDA)探讨附着藻类与水质因子之间的关系,并采用向前引入法对水质因子进行逐步筛选,Monte Carlo置换检验结果显示,总磷、浮游植物叶绿素a、高锰酸盐指数、氨氮、水温、透明度、溶解氧和氮磷比是影响附着藻类生物量和初级生产的关键水质因子。附着藻类的总初级生产与水体富营养化程度呈正相关关系。     

Response of grazing impacts of an algivorous fish (Pseudogastromyzon myersi: Balitoridae) to seasonal disturbance in Hong Kong streams

1. Manipulative experiments were carried out in four Hong Kong streams (two shaded, two unshaded) to investigate the impact of grazing by an algivorous fish, Pseudogastromyzon myersi, on benthic algal biomass and assemblage composition. Experiments were conducted and repeated during both the dry and wet seasons to determine whether spate‐induced disturbance modified any grazing effect. Treatments comprised fish exclusion and inclusion via closed and open cages, with a no‐cage treatment used as a control for the cage effect. Treatments were maintained for 4 weeks in each experimental run. 2. Grazing by P. myersi reduced benthic algal biomass and the organic matter content of periphyton in open cages and the no‐cage treatment relative to closed cages. The similarity between open‐cage and no‐cage treatments was evidence that the overall difference among treatments was caused by limiting fish access to closed cages and not merely an artifact of caging. Grazing effects were broadly similar in all streams, but there was a significant statistical interaction between treatments and seasons. 3. Analysis of dry‐season data matched the overall trend in inter‐treatment differences, confirming the effects of grazing by P. myersi on algal biomass and periphyton organic matter. Significant differences in algal assemblage composition between closed‐cage and no‐cage treatments during the dry season reflected reductions in the abundance of erect, stalked diatoms (Gomphonema) and filamentous cyanobacteria (Homeothrix). Removal of these vulnerable overstorey algae by P. myersi resulted in greater abundance of understorey diatoms (Achnanthes and Cocconeis) in the no‐cage treatment in all streams during the dry season. The composition of algal assemblages in open cages was intermediate between the other two treatments. 4. Although fish densities were greater in all streams during the wet season, spate‐induced disturbance obscured grazing effects and there were no significant differences among treatments attributable to fish grazing. Seasonal variation in impacts of P. myersi grazing provides support for the harsh‐benign hypothesis, and confirms that biotic factors are less important controls of stream algal biomass and assemblage structure during periods (i.e. the wet season in Hong Kong) when abiotic disturbances are frequent or intense.     

A Comparison of Phytoplankton and Algae Growing on Plexiglas Slides in an Oligotrophic Lake

This study compares the composition and dynamics of phytoplankton communities and of periphyton communities growing on Plexiglas slides in a temperate oligotrophic lake. Ordination methods were used in the comparisons, which covered a three-month period during the summer. Plankton and periphyton communities differed considerably, and shared only six common taxa. An ephemeral Dinobryon pulse occurred simultaneously in both communities, and represented the largest source of variability in community composition. Recovery from the pulse was faster in the phytoplankton than in the periphyton. Attachment to substrata, through its effect on cell turnover times and nutrient cycling, is hypothesized to provide a temporal refuge for plankton species during periods of unfavorable environmental conditions.     

Variation in nutrient limitation of lotic and lentic algal communities in a Texas (USA) river

Nutrient limitation of periphyton and phytoplankton was assessed in the Upper Guadalupe River, Texas USA. Nutrient-diffusing substrates with added nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were used to identify the limiting nutrient for lotic algae at three river sites in summer, fall, and winter. Pots enriched with P had significantly higher chlorophyll a concentrations for 7 of 9 trials. Added N alone did not significantly increase algal standing crops, although it was found to be secondarily limiting on one (and possibly two) occasions. Flow-through enrichment experiments were conducted in order to quantify the concentration of P needed to significantly increase algal standing crops. Response to enrichment was rapid when ambient P concentration was low (< 0.010 mg L^–1), but more moderate when ambient P levels were higher (0.015–0.025 mg L^–1). Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton in small surface-release reservoirs varied throughout the study, but N was either primarily or secondarily limiting in 6 of 8 trials; shifts in the limiting nutrient were correlated with fluctuations in flow into the reservoirs. Our enrichment studies show that algal response to nutrient addition was unpredictable as phytoplankton tended to be N-limited while periphyton was mainly P-limited. Further, while discharge apparently dictated the nutrient-biomass relationship for phytoplankton in reservoirs, ambient nutrient level is an important determinant of lotic periphyton response to enrichment.     

The potential of fish production based on periphyton

Periphyton is composed of attached plant andanimal organisms embedded in amucopolysaccharide matrix. This reviewsummarizes research on periphyton-based fishproduction and on periphyton productivity andingestion by fish, and explores the potentialof developing periphyton-based aquaculture.Important systems with periphyton arebrush-parks in lagoon areas and freshwaterponds with maximum extrapolated fish productionof 8 t ha^–1 y^–1 and 7 t ha^–1y^–1, respectively. Experiments with avariety of substrates and fish species havebeen done, sometimes with supplemental feeding.In most experiments, fish production wasgreater with additional substrates compared tocontrols without substrates. Colonization ofsubstrates starts with the deposition oforganic substances and attraction of bacteria,followed by algae and invertebrates. Afterinitial colonization, biomass density increasesto a maximum when competition for light andnutrients prevents a further increase. Often,more than 50% of the periphyton ash-free drymatter is of non-algal origin. Highest biomass(dm) in natural systems ranges from 0 to 700g m^–2 and in aquaculture experiments wasaround 100 g m^–2. Highest productivity wasfound on bamboo in brush-parks (7.9 gC m^–2 d^–1) and on coral reefs (3 gC m^–2 d^–1). Inorganic and organicnutrients stimulate periphyton production.Grazing is the main factor determiningperiphyton density, while substrate type alsoaffects productivity and biomass. Better growthwas observed on natural (tree branches andbamboo) than on artifical materials (plasticand PVC). Many herbivorous and omnivorous fishcan utilize periphyton. Estimates of periphytoningestion by fish range from 0.24 to 112 mg dm(g fish)^–1 d^–1. Ingestion rates areinfluenced by temperature, fish size, fishspecies and the nutritional quality of theperiphyton. Periphyton composition is generallysimilar to that of natural feeds in fishponds,with a higher ash content due to the entrapmentof sand particles and formation of carbonates.Protein/Metabolizable Energy (P/ME) ratios ofperiphyton vary from 10 to 40 kJ g^–1.Overall assimilation efficiency of fish growingon periphyton was 20–50%. The limited work onfeed conversion ratios resulted in valuesbetween 2 and 3. A simple simulation model ofperiphyton-based fish production estimates fishproduction at approximately 2.8 t ha^–1y^–1. Together with other food resources infishponds, total fish production with thecurrent technology level is estimated at about5 t ha^–1 y^–1. Because grazingpressure is determined by fish stocking rates,productivity of periphyton is currently themain factor limiting fish production. Weconclude that periphyton can increase theproductivity and efficiency of aquaculturesystems, but more research is needed foroptimization. Areas for attention include theimplementation and control of periphytonproduction (nutrient levels, substate types andconformations), the ratio of fish to periphytonbiomass, options for utilizing periphyton inintensive aquaculture systems and with marinefish, and possibilities for periphyton-basedshrimp culture.     

Diatoms and their preservation in the sediments of Lake Neuchâtel (Switzerland) as evidence of past hydrological changes

Core LNO3 is 1136 cm long and includes uninterrupted sediments from the Oldest Dryas to historic time which have been submitted for geological, geochemical, palynological and diatom analysis. Thirty samples have been investigated for diatoms, focussing especially on their preservation, which changed during major hydrological events. In the lower part of the core (Oldest Dryas to beginning of Atlantic), with low carbonate, but high clastic silicate content, the diatoms are rare but are well preserved. In the upper well carbonated part of the core (Atlantic to historical periods), the diatoms are abundant but show traces of dissolution.Between 1136 and 909 cm (Oldest Dryas) the flora is made up of benthic species principally of the genus Fragilaria. This flora is often the first to develop after the last glaciation. Between 879 and 569 cm (Bølling to beginning of Atlantic), littoral and terrestrial species adapted to eutrophic conditions are dominating. They suggest a strong fluvial impact on sedimentation, which corroborates the hypothesis of past inflows of the River Aar into the lake. Between 529 cm and 1 cm (Atlantic to historical periods) planktonic species of the genera Cyclotella, Aulacoseira or Stephanodiscus are dominating. This suggests that the upper well carbonated sediments were mainly formed by pelagic precipitation, without influence of the River Aar. The trophic level of the lake seems to have decreased, then increased again during prehistoric deforestation and development of agriculture in the watershed.     

Physiological reactions to a change in light regime in cultured Skeletonema costatum (Bacillariophyta): implications for estimation of phytoplankton biomass

The marine planktonic diatom Skeletonema costatum (Cleve) was grown in batch culture under a 12 h light: 12 h dark (LD) regime for several generations before the experiment. At Time 0, half of the culture was transferred to continuous light (CL). Particulate organic carbon (POC), nitrogen (PON), and photosynthetic pigments (measured by spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography) were monitored for 7 to 9 days in the two cultures. Under CL, POC and PON production were always lower. In addition, we measured a much higher proportion of chlorophyll degradation products (as chlorophyllid a, phaeophytin a and phaeophorbid a (PrD)). These indicate different physiological conditions between the two cultures, as reflected also be the lower POC/PON and chlorophyll a/POC ratios. Under CL illumination cells appear stressed, probably due to the total quantity of light to which cells are exposed. In fact, a higher proportion of the two xanthophylls diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin in the CL culture indicates a photoprotective reaction of the cells. In contrast with the LD culture, parameters measured were not significantly inter-correlated in the CL culture. The lack of correlation between chlorophyll a and POC in CL does not encourage the use of the chlorophyll a/POC ratio as a biomass estimator. On the opposite, the ratio of total pigment content to POC did not vary much as a function of the light condition of the culture, remaining near 0.040 in both light regimes. Although further observations are needed, this index seems to be a reliable indicator of phytoplankton carbon biomass.     

陆地植物群落物种多样性的梯度变化特征

研究陆地植物落物种多样性随环境因子及群落演替梯度的变化特征是揭示生物多样性与生态因子相互关系的重要方面,根据近期国内外的文献,综述了这方面的研究进展。随纬度的降低,通常物咱多样性随中,随不分梯度的变化,物种多样性的变化有６种趋势;随海拔高的变化,物处多样性有５种模式;随土壤养分梯度的变化,表现出不同的规律;演替过程中物种多样生的变化趋势相似。关于植物群落物种多样性梯度格局的机制有多种假说,但仍需进