Temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale: controls on communities
Diatoms are generally regarded as inhabitants of water bodies. However, numerous taxa are able to survive and reproduce in a variety of non-aquatic ecosystems. Although terrestrial diatoms are discussed extensively in the literature, most of those studies covered floristic aspects and few informatio...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/8296.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797425766067077120 |
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| author | Jasper Foets Carlos E. Wetzel Adriaan J. Teuling Laurent Pfister |
| author_facet | Jasper Foets Carlos E. Wetzel Adriaan J. Teuling Laurent Pfister |
| author_sort | Jasper Foets |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Diatoms are generally regarded as inhabitants of water bodies. However, numerous taxa are able to survive and reproduce in a variety of non-aquatic ecosystems. Although terrestrial diatoms are discussed extensively in the literature, most of those studies covered floristic aspects and few information exists on their ecology. This lack of knowledge thwarts their potential use as environmental markers in various applications. As a way forward, we investigated the seasonal patterns and the role of different disturbances on the community composition. We collected soil diatom samples in 16 sites across the Attert River basin (Luxembourg) every 4 weeks for a period of 14 months. Our results indicate that forests create a stable microhabitat for diatoms and that temporal variation of the diatom communities is mainly controlled by farming practices rather than seasonal changes in environmental variables. We also found out that communities need one to 2 months to reestablish a new, stable community after a significant change in the environment. We were able to confirm the applicability of the Pollution-Sensitivity Index (IPS) to identify anthropic disturbances. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:20:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a222e4b5c40849a7a05ea8e124d18c2b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:20:57Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-a222e4b5c40849a7a05ea8e124d18c2b2023-12-02T21:49:59ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592020-01-018e829610.7717/peerj.8296Temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale: controls on communitiesJasper Foets0Carlos E. Wetzel1Adriaan J. Teuling2Laurent Pfister3Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, LuxembourgEnvironmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, LuxembourgDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, NetherlandsEnvironmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, LuxembourgDiatoms are generally regarded as inhabitants of water bodies. However, numerous taxa are able to survive and reproduce in a variety of non-aquatic ecosystems. Although terrestrial diatoms are discussed extensively in the literature, most of those studies covered floristic aspects and few information exists on their ecology. This lack of knowledge thwarts their potential use as environmental markers in various applications. As a way forward, we investigated the seasonal patterns and the role of different disturbances on the community composition. We collected soil diatom samples in 16 sites across the Attert River basin (Luxembourg) every 4 weeks for a period of 14 months. Our results indicate that forests create a stable microhabitat for diatoms and that temporal variation of the diatom communities is mainly controlled by farming practices rather than seasonal changes in environmental variables. We also found out that communities need one to 2 months to reestablish a new, stable community after a significant change in the environment. We were able to confirm the applicability of the Pollution-Sensitivity Index (IPS) to identify anthropic disturbances.https://peerj.com/articles/8296.pdfEcologySoilAlgaeIndicator speciesAgriculture |
| spellingShingle | Jasper Foets Carlos E. Wetzel Adriaan J. Teuling Laurent Pfister Temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale: controls on communities PeerJ Ecology Soil Algae Indicator species Agriculture |
| title | Temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale: controls on communities |
| title_full | Temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale: controls on communities |
| title_fullStr | Temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale: controls on communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale: controls on communities |
| title_short | Temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale: controls on communities |
| title_sort | temporal and spatial variability of terrestrial diatoms at the catchment scale controls on communities |
| topic | Ecology Soil Algae Indicator species Agriculture |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/8296.pdf |
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