Abstract
Despite the frequent application of diatoms in palaeoecological research in the High Arctic, our knowledge concerning the diversity, ecology, community associations, community dynamics and survival strategies of High Arctic freshwater littoral diatom floras is still rather limited. In the present study, the diversity, ecological characteristics and community structures of the freshwater littoral diatom flora from ponds and lakes of Petuniabukta (Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago) were studied. In total, 87 samples from the littoral zone of 53 freshwater ponds and lakes were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. A highly diverse diatom flora dominated by Achnanthidium and Nitzschia was observed. In total, 310 diatom taxa belonging to 59 genera were found, of which about one-third could not be identified beyond the genus level. Based on species composition, four main diatom communities were distinguished. Differences in environmental characteristics, such as habitat type, habitat diversity, habitat stability, streams, water pH and influence of the fjord, biota and human activities, appeared to be important factors in determining the observed diatom communities. The high number of unidentified taxa in this study indicates that a profound revision of the Arctic diatom flora is highly desired, not only to improve our fundamental knowledge concerning the diversity, ecology, community associations and biogeography of Arctic diatoms but also to aid applied (palaeo)environmental sciences.
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Acknowledgments
Part of this research was financially supported by the Fund for Scientific Research—Flanders (FWO-Flanders, Belgium, funding of EP as a PhD student). The project was supported by the Czech Ministry of Education (MSMT) via grant LM2010009. The polar ecology course was organized with the support from project no. CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0190. The project was funded by the European social fund and by the government budget of the Czech Republic, and the study was supported as a long-term research development project no. RVO 67985939. Part of the research was funded within the BelSPO CCAMBIO project allowing a visit to the SEM facilities of the National History Museum in London, UK. Dr. Alex Ball and the staff of the IAC laboratory at the Natural History Museum are thanked for their help with the scanning electron microscopy. Mrs. Myriam de Haan is thanked for her help with additional SEM observations at the Botanic Garden Meise, Belgium. Prof. Dr. Horst Lange-Bertalot is thanked for his kind help with the diatom identifications. Dr. Daniel Nývlt and Denisa Čepová are thanked for their help with the estimations of the lake and pond ages. We thank Paul Hamilton and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments that helped improving the manuscript.
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Pinseel, E., Van de Vijver, B., Kavan, J. et al. Diversity, ecology and community structure of the freshwater littoral diatom flora from Petuniabukta (Spitsbergen). Polar Biol 40, 533–551 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-016-1976-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-016-1976-0