Summary
Under specific conditions prevailing in dry tropical areas (high light intensities, dryness, extreme temperature change), studies of the composition and evolution of algal populations, primarily nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (N2BGA), were conducted. Large scale sampling permitted interpretation using the statistical methods of principal component analysis and analysis of correspondences on the same data. On 86 stations, '49 biotic and abiotic factors were collected: the absolute and relative composition of algal communities were determined by serial dilution and physical-chemical composition of surface soil was analysed.
A principal component analysis with a Bravais-Pearson matrix identified: i) four distinct algal groups in the algal communities; ii) similar algal compositions in distinct areas; iii) positive correlations between N2BGA and pH, C, N, Ca, P, K, and sand. Factorial analysis allowed comparison between quantitative and qualitative factors (vegetal cover, fertilization, wetness, cultivation) indicating that in regard to nitrogen-fixation potential algal communities exist in three states: selective, active and accumulative. Change from one state to another depends mostly on water control.
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Reynaud, P.A. Ecology of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in dry tropical habitats of West Africa: A multivariate analysis. Plant Soil 98, 203–220 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374824
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374824