The ecology of diatoms inhabiting cryoconite holes in Antisana Glacier, Ecuador
In the ablation zone of glacier habitats, cryoconite holes are known to harbor diverse microbial communities, including unique diatom floras distinct from those of surrounding aquatic and terrestrial systems. Besides descriptive studies, little is known about the diversity of cryoconite diatoms and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143021001088/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811155764173078528 |
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| author | Susana Chamorro Jennifer Moyón Franks Araya José Salazar Juan-Carlos Navarro Eloy Bécares Saúl Blanco |
| author_facet | Susana Chamorro Jennifer Moyón Franks Araya José Salazar Juan-Carlos Navarro Eloy Bécares Saúl Blanco |
| author_sort | Susana Chamorro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the ablation zone of glacier habitats, cryoconite holes are known to harbor diverse microbial communities, including unique diatom floras distinct from those of surrounding aquatic and terrestrial systems. Besides descriptive studies, little is known about the diversity of cryoconite diatoms and their response to environmental stressors, particularly in low-latitude glaciers. This paper documents an extremely diversified diatom community in Antisana Glacier (Ecuador), reporting 278 taxa found in 54 surface holes, although with low individual abundances. Contrary to our expectations, assemblage structure did not respond to water physical or chemical characteristics, nor to cryoconite hole morphology, but to elevation. We demonstrate that elevation is a driver of diatom assemblages. Both alpha diversity (measured as Fisher's index) and species richness (corrected for unequal sample sizes) correlated negatively with elevation, suggesting a replacement toward simplified, poorer communities along this gradient. The taxonomic composition also changed significantly, as revealed by multivariate statistics. In summary, cryoconite holes are sites of high taxonomic diversity composed of taxa that are allochthonous in origin. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:40:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ce4a18ff001b4e2f969f34e3a62da929 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:40:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ce4a18ff001b4e2f969f34e3a62da9292023-03-09T12:41:12ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522022-02-016820420810.1017/jog.2021.108The ecology of diatoms inhabiting cryoconite holes in Antisana Glacier, EcuadorSusana Chamorro0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2574-8424Jennifer Moyón1Franks Araya2José Salazar3Juan-Carlos Navarro4Eloy Bécares5Saúl Blanco6Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad Internacional SEK, Avenida Einstein y 5ta Transversal, Quito, Ecuador Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, España Laboratorio de diatomología y calidad de aguas, Instituto de Investigación de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Biodiversidad. La Serna 58, 24007, León, EspañaFacultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad Internacional SEK, Avenida Einstein y 5ta Transversal, Quito, EcuadorFacultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad Internacional SEK, Avenida Einstein y 5ta Transversal, Quito, EcuadorFacultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad Internacional SEK, Avenida Einstein y 5ta Transversal, Quito, EcuadorFacultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad Internacional SEK, Avenida Einstein y 5ta Transversal, Quito, Ecuador Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Internacional SEK, Avenida Einstein y 5ta Transversal, Quito, EcuadorDepartamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, España Laboratorio de diatomología y calidad de aguas, Instituto de Investigación de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Biodiversidad. La Serna 58, 24007, León, EspañaDepartamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, España Laboratorio de diatomología y calidad de aguas, Instituto de Investigación de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Biodiversidad. La Serna 58, 24007, León, EspañaIn the ablation zone of glacier habitats, cryoconite holes are known to harbor diverse microbial communities, including unique diatom floras distinct from those of surrounding aquatic and terrestrial systems. Besides descriptive studies, little is known about the diversity of cryoconite diatoms and their response to environmental stressors, particularly in low-latitude glaciers. This paper documents an extremely diversified diatom community in Antisana Glacier (Ecuador), reporting 278 taxa found in 54 surface holes, although with low individual abundances. Contrary to our expectations, assemblage structure did not respond to water physical or chemical characteristics, nor to cryoconite hole morphology, but to elevation. We demonstrate that elevation is a driver of diatom assemblages. Both alpha diversity (measured as Fisher's index) and species richness (corrected for unequal sample sizes) correlated negatively with elevation, suggesting a replacement toward simplified, poorer communities along this gradient. The taxonomic composition also changed significantly, as revealed by multivariate statistics. In summary, cryoconite holes are sites of high taxonomic diversity composed of taxa that are allochthonous in origin.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143021001088/type/journal_articleAblationalpine systemsbacillariophytadiversityelevationmountain habitats |
| spellingShingle | Susana Chamorro Jennifer Moyón Franks Araya José Salazar Juan-Carlos Navarro Eloy Bécares Saúl Blanco The ecology of diatoms inhabiting cryoconite holes in Antisana Glacier, Ecuador Journal of Glaciology Ablation alpine systems bacillariophyta diversity elevation mountain habitats |
| title | The ecology of diatoms inhabiting cryoconite holes in Antisana Glacier, Ecuador |
| title_full | The ecology of diatoms inhabiting cryoconite holes in Antisana Glacier, Ecuador |
| title_fullStr | The ecology of diatoms inhabiting cryoconite holes in Antisana Glacier, Ecuador |
| title_full_unstemmed | The ecology of diatoms inhabiting cryoconite holes in Antisana Glacier, Ecuador |
| title_short | The ecology of diatoms inhabiting cryoconite holes in Antisana Glacier, Ecuador |
| title_sort | ecology of diatoms inhabiting cryoconite holes in antisana glacier ecuador |
| topic | Ablation alpine systems bacillariophyta diversity elevation mountain habitats |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143021001088/type/journal_article |
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