Cover image of: Sergi Pla - Chrysophycean cysts from the Pyrenees

Sergi Pla:

Chrysophycean cysts from the Pyrenees

2001. 179 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, 71 plates, 14x22cm, 480 g
Language: English

(Bibliotheca Phycologica, Band 109)

ISBN 978-3-443-60036-5, paperback, price: 97.00 €

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Keywords

Alge • Chrysophyceae • Pyrenäen • Cyst

Contents

Content Description top ↑

The present study of chrysophycean cysts is based on 105 lakes from the Pyrenees selected from the about one thousand existing in those ranges. Sediment and water samples collected along four years 1984, 1995, 1996 and 1998 during the summer season. These lakes where chosen from among a thousand lakes to provide a broad range of environmental conditions. Two hundred morphotypes are described, eighty-two have not previous published description. The cyst morphotypes are illustrated with 464 images, 248 of them from scanning electron microscope. The ecological data are summarised in a individual table for each morphotype. This table shows the ecological optima and tolerances for various water chemistry components and preferences for lake in physical characteristics.

Rev.: Algological Studies 105, June 2002, p. 189-190 top ↑

The stomatosysts are usually zygospores of chrysophytes and synurophyte species. The silicified cell wall of the cysts remams almost intact in lake sediments for many thousands of years. This is a good reason for the use of the cyst in paleolimnological research in a similar manner as are the diatom frustules and pollen grains.

The first important contribution was the Atlas of chrysophycean cysts (DUFF et al. 1995) based mainly on investigation of the North American and Canadian lake sediments. This monograph offers the cysts terminology, and autecological approach, which is used m the present publication. The reviewed book by SERGIO PLA contains the results of long term investigation of the bottom sediments of 105 lakes from mountain area of Pyrennees The altitide ofthe lakes varies from 1615 m a.s.l. to 2954 m a.s.l. The majority ofthe lakes are oligotrophic with low phytoplankton productivity and without influence of industrial pollution. The stomatocysts are not very abundant, but the investigation documented great taxonomic diversity. Under light microscope and scanning electron microscope the author observed 210 morphotypes, of which 86 were found for the first time. The majority of stomatocysts are listed under the numerical code. This knowledge is not easy to obtain, and for this reason it is given only for few species. The biological affinity means the botanical name of the stomatocyst producing species. The description of each cyst contains the light microscope photography and the scanning electron microscope image. All decriptions contain the autecological data. In the concluding chapter PLA discusses the stratigraphy. The samples taken from the bottom sediments allowed the counting of the cyst abundance starting from the period of 14 000 years ago to the present time. The oldest sediment layer corresponds with the age of the lakes. S. PLA also discusses the question of the biogeographical diversity of the cysts. He expressed the idea about the geographical diversity of the cysts distribution and suggested the endemic properties of the cyst community found in the Pyrenees.

The reviewed book of PLA represents an important contribution to the mountain lakes both past and present ecology. His book contains valuable information for paleolimnologists and hydrobiologists finding the cysts in their own samples. The autecology given for each stomatocyst improves the value of the stomatocysts as indicator of the environmental conditions.

T. Kalina

Algological Studies 105, June 2002, p. 189-190

Contents top ↑

Acknowledgements 7
Summary 8
Introduction 9
Study sites 11
Methods 13
Chemical characteristics of Pyrenean lakes 24
Terminology 25
Cyst Descriptions 29
Group A: Spherical stomatocysts lacking collar and ornamentation 32
Group B: Oval stomatocysts lacking a collar and ornamentation 39
Group C: Oval stomatocysts with a small conical or cylindrical collar
but without ornamentation 40
Group D: Spherical stomatocysts with a small conical or cylindrical
collar but without ornamentation 46
Group E: Spherical to oval stomatocysts with a true or false complex
collar but without ornamentation 51
Group F: Spherical stomatocysts with a large conical or cylindrical
collar but without ornamentation 57
Group G: Spherical stomatocysts with a large conical or cylindrical
collar and ornamentation 62
Coup H: Oval stomatocysts with an obconical collar 66
Group I: Spherical stomatocysts with obconical collar and ornamented
with scabrae 69
Group J: Oval stomatocysts with collar and ornamentation 72
Group K: Small stomatocysts (< 6.0) with ridges 77
Group L: Small stomatocysts (< 6.0) with ridges and indentations 85
Group M: Small stomatocysts (< 6.0) with spines and indentations 89
Group N: Small stomatocysts (< 6.0) with spines, and without
indentations 92
Group O: Spherical stomatocysts ornamented with only verrucae 96
Group P: Spherical stomatocysts ornamented with conula or spines but
withoutlarge collar 100
Group Q: Large stomatocysts (> 6.0) ornamented with spines roughly
equidistant and covering the entire cyst surface 103
Group R: Spherical stomatocysts ornamented with reticulum and spines 110
Group S: Spherical to oval stomatocysts ornamented with reticulum 117
Group T: Spherical stomatocysts ornamented with spines and circular
indentations 126
Group V: Spherical stomatocysts ornamented with ridges 128
Group W: Spherical stomatocysts ornamented with one or more circuli 135
Group X: Spherical stomatocysts ornamented with long spines 143
Group Y: Small stomatocysts (< 6.0) with indentations 149
Stomatocyst for which not enough SEM specimens and LM observations are
available 151
Stomatocyst which have only been observed under LM 156
Concluding remarks on the distribution of chrysophycean cysts 159
References 169
Stomatocysts Index 178