Original paper
Epiphytic and epilithic diatom communities along environmental gradients in the Nepalese Himalaya: implications for the assessment of biodiversity and water quality
Rothfritz, Heike; Jüttner, Ingrid; Suren, A. M.; Ormerod, S. J.
Archiv für Hydrobiologie Volume 138 Number 4 (1997), p. 465 - 482
41 references
published: Mar 14, 1997
DOI: 10.1127/archiv-hydrobiol/138/1997/465
ArtNo. ESP141013804002, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Variations in diatom communities between river habitats might have ramifications for their use as bioindicators and for the assessment of their contribution to aquatic biodiversity. Diatoms therefore were sampled from similar surface areas of the epilithon and bryophytes in 24 hill-streams in the Nepalese Himalaya to assess whether communities varied more strongly between habitats or between streams. Some diatom species (e.g. Eunofia minor and Cocconeis placentula) were significantly more abundant on bryophytes than in the epilithon. In addition, bryophytes held, on average, a significantly larger proportion of the total species pool of diatoms at each site. However, neither diversity H' nor evenness E varied between habitats, suggesting no gross differences in community structure. Also, DECORANA ordination and TWINSPAN classification showed that communities were more similar between habitats within sites, than between sites. DECORANA scores from both epilithon and bryophytes showed the same linear relationships with water chemistry (acidbase status, sulphate concentration and conductivity), so that diatom samples from either habitat reflected the same chemical gradient. These results support previous conclusions that comprehensive sampling will be required in the assessment of diatom biodiversity, while samples from just one habitat may be sufficient for water quality monitoring.
Keywords
bioindicators • Nepalese Himalaya • sulphae • habitat • water quality