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Moss-inhabiting diatom communities from Heard Island, sub-Antarctic

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Abstract

In this paper, we list 192 diatom taxa, collected from bryophyte samples from Heard Island (52°05′S, 73°30′E). The Heard Island diatom flora shows a marked similarity to those of the Crozet and Kerguelen archipelagos, and is quite dissimilar to the moss-dwelling diatom flora of Macquarie and Amsterdam Island. Based on species composition, three main groups of samples could be discerned. Each group represents a different habitat. Samples dominated by Diadesmis ingeae, Pinnularia borealis and several Psammothidium species seem to prefer the driest habitats. A special form of this community was found in shaded areas. Samples from wet habitats such as flush areas and pools were dominated by species such as Adlafia bryophila, Sellaphora tumida, Fragilaria capucina and Planothidium lanceolatum. An intermediate group was observed in more acid, but terrestrial, conditions, characterised by Eunotia paludosa and Chamaepinnularia soehrensis var. muscicola. These community patterns are similar to those found on other sub-Antarctic islands, and we suggest that a group of typical sub-Antarctic species and communities exists.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to D.M. Bergstrom and the Australian Antarctic Division for providing the opportunity for Niek Gremmen to work on Heard Island, and to K. Kiefer, P. Scott, S.L. Chown, V.R. Smith and D.J. Marshall for their help in the field. Logistic support by the Australian Antarctic Division is gratefully acknowledged. N.J.M.G. also acknowledges support by the Netherlands Antarctic Program. N.J.M.G. was Visiting Academic to the Department of Botany, University of Queensland, during his fieldwork at Heard Island. Research in Antwerp has been financed by RAFO-RUCA. Bart Van de Vijver is a post-doctoral fellow at the FWO, Flanders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Unit of Polar Ecology, Limnology and Paleobiology, Universiteit Antwerpen (campus Middelheim), Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium

    Bart Van de Vijver, Louis Beyens & Sofie Vincke

  2. Data Analyse Ecologie, Hesselsstraat 11, NL-7981 CD Diever, and NIOO-CEMO, PO Box 140, 4400, AC, Yerseke, The Netherlands

    Niek J. M. Gremmen

Authors
  1. Bart Van de Vijver
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  2. Louis Beyens
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  3. Sofie Vincke
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  4. Niek J. M. Gremmen
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Correspondence to Bart Van de Vijver.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Table 5 List of all taxa observed in this study
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Van de Vijver, B., Beyens, L., Vincke, S. et al. Moss-inhabiting diatom communities from Heard Island, sub-Antarctic. Polar Biol 27, 532–543 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0629-x

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