Structure of the diatom community of the River Adige (North-Eastern Italy) along a hydrological gradient |
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Authors: | Barbara Centis Monica Tolotti Nico Salmaso |
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Institution: | (1) IASMA Research and Innovation Centre, Environment and Natural Resources Area, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach, 1, 38010 S. Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy |
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Abstract: | Physical constrains such as water discharge, suspended solids and turbidity act as dominant factors in driving the planktonic
diatom assemblages of the River Adige (North-Eastern Italy). Two sampling stations, characterised by different hydromorphological
features (Cortina all’Adige and Boara Pisani, with torrential and more potamal characteristics, respectively) were sampled
fortnightly following an integrated approach encompassing physical, chemical and biological measurements and aiming at identifying
the dominant factors controlling the temporal development of the community. A morpho-functional approach was used to classify
the diatom assemblages where Morpho-Functional Diatom Groups (MFDG) were defined for diatom genera, according to their morphology,
habitat selection and modality of adhesion to river substrate. In the two sampling points, algal growth was never limited
by nutrients or zooplankton. The irregular development of MFDG was determined by the stochastic hydrological events and changes
in variables related to water discharge (suspended solids and light attenuation). Tychoplanktonic, benthic and drifted taxa
(such as Diatoma spp., Encyonema spp., Navicula spp. and Nitzschia spp.) were dominant in the torrential station (Cortina all’Adige), while the contribution of euplanktonic unicellular centric
taxa (such as Cyclotella spp., and Stephanodiscus spp.) was higher in the potamal station (Boara Pisani). |
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