Benthic diatoms and some environmental conditions in three lowland streams

This article reports on the ecological preferences of benthic diatoms in relation to pH, conductivity and organic pollution-eutrophication and their tolerance spectrums. Three Pampean streams subjected to different human impacts were studied. The bottom substrate of these streams is mostly composed...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Licursi, Magdalena, Gomez, Nora
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2002
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/40361
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/40361
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:ARGENTINA
BENTHIC DIATOMS
LOWLAND STREAMS
TOLERANCE SPECTRUMS
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descripción
Sumario:This article reports on the ecological preferences of benthic diatoms in relation to pH, conductivity and organic pollution-eutrophication and their tolerance spectrums. Three Pampean streams subjected to different human impacts were studied. The bottom substrate of these streams is mostly composed of slime-clay with low proportions of gravel and sand; in consequence, the epipelon is the most represented benthic community. Samples were taken seasonally between 1997-1998 at 9 sampling sites. In each sampling station ten sub-samples were collected by pipetting a superficial layer (5-10 mm) of sediment from different places. Physico-chemical parameters were measured. Considering the ranges of pH, conductivity and organic pollution-eutrophication the diatom's tolerance spectrums were established. 162 diatom species were identified. More than 50 % of species occurred in sites where the conductivity was lower than 600 μS cm-1. More than 50 % of species had their preference range in sites with moderate organic matter and nutrient content. Diatom species found show defined preferences for organic pollution-eutrophication, but show less consistent responses for conductivity and, particularly, hydrogen ions content.