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Diversity and geographic distribution of Chlorococcales (Chlorophyceae) in contrasting lakes along a latitudinal transect in Argentinean Patagonia

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Abstract

The present study focuses on the geographic distribution and biodiversity of the Chlorococcales in Patagonian lakes, covering a latitudinal transect. Two different approaches are considered (a) a review of the historical records of Chlorococcales in Patagonia and (b) the analysis of the morphology-based species diversity, ecological remarks, and geographic distribution of the chlorococcalean species recorded in 33 aquatic environments during surveys 2007 and 2008. A total of 308 chlorococcalean species were recorded throughout a 60-year period in Patagonian freshwater systems, encountering the highest chlorococcalean richness in lakes and shallow lakes located in the more intensively sampled areas. In our surveys 2007–2008, 72 chlorococcalean taxa were registered, among which 80% are worldwide distributed, about 19% are restricted to cold temperate areas in both hemispheres and one species (Pediastrum patagonicum) is one of the taxa probably endemic for Patagonia. The chlorococcalean richness in relation to the environmental factors, revealed that it is directly correlated with the trophic status of the water bodies (chl a: r = 0.52 and DIN: r = 0.47; P < 0.05). The latitude was inversely correlated with the species richness (r = −0.40; P < 0.05), and the chlorococcalean biodiversity of the Andean lakes (mean value: 3.64) was significantly lower (P = 0.0022) than that of the lakes from the Patagonian Plateau (mean value: 9.62). In this study we observed a decreasing trend in the biodiversity of Chlorococcales with increasing latitude, which fits in the existing ecological pattern described for different groups of organisms.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financed by a grant of the Argentinean Funds for Technical and Scientific Investigation (FONCYT, PICT 32732). We wish to thank Dr. Fernando Unrein, Dr. Rodrigo Sinistro, Lic. Romina Schiaffino, Lic. María Laura Sánchez and Mr. Adrián Rua for their collaboration during the field campaigns.

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  1. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires—CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Guillermo Tell, Irina Izaguirre & Luz Allende

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  1. Guillermo Tell
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Correspondence to Guillermo Tell.

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Tell, G., Izaguirre, I. & Allende, L. Diversity and geographic distribution of Chlorococcales (Chlorophyceae) in contrasting lakes along a latitudinal transect in Argentinean Patagonia. Biodivers Conserv 20, 703–727 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-010-9955-1

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