Abstract
Periphyton is a commonly used biomonitoring tool for streams. Often only one or few riffles are sampled and assumed to be representative of a stream reach. Current literature focuses on periphyton heterogeneity at small scales, on individual rocks within a riffle, and larger scales, within watersheds or ecoregions. The intermediate scales, within single riffles or among riffles, have not been adequately addressed. The purpose of this research was to determine how many riffles must be sampled in order to represent a reach and whether the number of necessary riffles varied with stream health. Since periphyton is sensitive to habitat change, it was hypothesized that heterogeneity would be primarily partitioned among riffles. Eight to ten consecutive riffles were sampled at eight individual stream reaches. Sampled reaches were categorized based on previously collected bioassesment data: three non-attaining, three partially-attaining, and two fully-attaining water quality standards as defined by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Data were analyzed using the Bray-Curtis Similarity Index, Hill’s N2 dominance diversity index, and the Acid Mine Drainage Diatom Index of Biotic Integrity. Diatoms appeared to be patchily distributed within a reach. This patchiness often led to varied relative abundance of common species and the introduction or loss of rare species among riffles. To account for this variation within a reach, at least two riffles should be sampled. However, a multimetric index may correctly classify a stream based on a one-riffle sample. Variation does not appear to correspond directly to stream health, but to species richness and diversity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anonymous, 1997. Data Logging Colorimeter Handbook. Hach Company, Loveland.
Battarbee, R. W., 1973. A new method for estimating absolute microfossil numbers with special reference to diatoms. Limnology and Oceanography 18: 647–653.
Beisel, J., P. Usseglio-Polatera & J. Moreteau, 2000. The spatial heterogeneity of a river bottom: a key factor determining macroinvertebrate communities. Hydrobiologia 422(423): 163–171.
Besse-Lototskaya, A., P. F. M. Verdonschot & J. A. Sinkeldam, 2006. Uncertainty in diatom assessment: sampling, identification and counting variation. Hydrobiologia 566: 247–260.
Boyero, L., 2003. The quantification of local substrate heterogeneity in streams and its significance for macroinvertebrate assemblages. Hydrobiologia 499: 161–168.
Brown, B. L., 2003. Spatial heterogeneity reduces temporal variability in stream insect communities. Ecology Letters 6: 316–325.
Cooper, S. D., S. Diehl, K. Kratz & O. Sarnelle, 1998. Implications of scale for patterns and processes in stream ecology. Australian Journal of Ecology 23: 27–40.
Currie, R. J., 1999. Identification of ecosystem stressors in developing an enhancement plan for the Leading Creek watershed, Meigs County Ohio. Ph.D. Dissertation Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, April 14, 1999, Blacksburg, Virginia.
Edgar, L. A. & J. D. Picket-Heaps, 1984. Diatom locomotion. Progress in Phycological Research 3: 47–88.
Gebler, J. B., 2004. Mesoscale spatial variability of selected aquatic invertebrate community metrics from a minimally impaired stream segment. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 23: 616–633.
Heino, J. & J. Soininen, 2005. Assembly rules and community models for unicellular organisms: patterns in diatoms of boreal streams. Freshwater Biology 50: 567–577.
Heino, J., L. Pauliina & T. Muotka, 2004. Identifying the scales of variability in stream macroinvertebrate abundance, functional composition and assemblage structure. Freshwater Biology 49: 1230–1239.
Hill, B. H., A. T. Herlihy, P. R. Kaufmann, R. J. Stevenson, F. H. McCormick & C. B. Johnson, 2000. Use of periphyton assemblage data as an index of biotic integrity. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 19: 50–67.
Hintze, J., 2004. NCSS and PASS. Number Cruncher Statistical Systems. Kaysville, Utah.
Kelly, M. G., 2001. Use of similarity measures for quality control of benthic diatom samples. Water Research 35: 2784–2788.
Kelly, M. G., A. Cazaubon, E. Coring, A. Dell’Uomo, L. Ector, B. Goldsmith, H. Guasch, J. Hürlimann, A. Jarlman, B. Kawecka, J. Kwandrans, R. Laugaste, E.-A. Lindstrøm, M. Leitao, P. Marvan, J. Padisác, E. Pipp, J. Prygiel, E. Rott, S. Sabater, H. van Dam & J. Vizinet, 1998. Recommendations for the routine sampling of diatoms for water quality assessments in Europe. Journal of Applied Phycology 10: 215–224.
Korte, V. L. & D. W. Blinn, 1983. Diatom colonization on artificial substrata in pool and riffle zones studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. Journal of Phycology 19: 332–341.
Kovach, W. L., 1998. MVSP—A Multivariate Statistical Package for Windows, Ver, 3.0. Kovach Computing Services, Pentreath.
Krammer, K. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 1986–1991. Bacillariophyceae. Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa, 2. Fischer, Stuttgart: 1–4.
KYDOW (Kentucky Division of Water), 1993. Methods for Assessing Biological Integrity of Surface Waters. Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection, Frankfort.
Lindstrøm, E.-A., S. W. Johansen & T. Saloranta, 2004. Periphyton in running waters—long-term studies of natural variation. Hydrobiologia 521: 63–86.
Lowe, R. L. & Y. Pan, 1996. Benthic algal communities as biological monitors. In Stevenson, R. J., M. L. Bothwell & R. L. Lowe (eds), Algal Ecology. Academic Press, San Diego: 705–739.
Machová-Černá, K. & J. Neustupa, 2009. Spatial distribution of algal assemblages in a temperate lowland peat bog. International Review of Hydrobiology 94: 40–56.
Matthaei, C. D., C. Guggelberger & H. Huber, 2003. Local disturbance history affects patchiness of benthic river algae. Freshwater Biology 48: 1514–1526.
McCune, B. & J. B. Grace, 2002. Analysis of Ecological Communities. MjM Software Design, Gleneden Beach.
Pan, Y., R. J. Stevenson, B. H. Hill, A. T. Herlihy & G. B. Collins, 1996. Using diatoms as indicators of ecological conditions in lotic systems: a regional assessment. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 15: 481–495.
Passy, S. I., 2001. Spatial paradigms of lotic diatom distribution: a landscape ecology perspective. Journal of Phycology 37: 370–378.
Patrick, R. & C. W. Reimer, 1966. The Diatoms Of The United States, Vol. 1. Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. No. 13.
Patrick, R. & C. W. Reimer, 1975. The Diatoms of the United States, Vol. 2, Part 1. Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. No. 13.
Potapova, M. & D. F. Charles, 2004. Potential use of rare diatoms as environmental indicators in U.S.A. rivers. In Poulin, M (ed.), Proceedings of the 17th International Diatom Symposium. Biopress Ltd., Bristol, UK: 281–295.
Prygiel, J., P. Carpentier, S. Almeida, M. Coste, J. C. Druart, L. Ector, D. Guillard, I. Mercier, P. Moncaut, M. Nazart, N. Nouchet, F. Peres, V. Peeters, F. Rimet & A. Rumeau, 2002. Determination of the biological diatom index (IBD NF T 90–354): results of an intercomparison exercise. Journal of Applied Phycology 14: 27–39.
Rankin, E. T., 2005. Fish and Macroinvertebrate Study of Leading Creek. MBI Technical Report MB/2005-1. Prepared for Ohio DNR, District by the Midwest Biodiversity Institute, Columbus, OH.
Soininen, J., 2003. Heterogeneity of diatom communities in different spatial scales and current velocities in a turbid river. Archiv fuer Hydrobiologie 156: 551–564.
Soininen, J. & M. Kokocinski, 2006. Regional diatom body size distributions in streams: Does size vary along environmental, spatial and diversity gradients? Ecoscience 13: 271–274.
Stevenson, J. R., 1997. Scale-dependent determinants and consequences of benthic algal heterogeneity. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 16: 248–262.
Stevenson, J. R. & L. L. Bahls, 1999. Periphyton protocols. In Barbour, M. T., J. Gerritsen, B. D. Snyder & J. B. Stibling (eds), Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers: Periphyton, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Fish, 2nd edn. EPA 841-B-99-002. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency office of water, Washington, DC, USA 6-1-6-23.
Wang, Y.-K., R. J. Stevenson & L. Metzmeier, 2005. Development and evaluation of a diatom-based Index of Biotic Integrity for the Interior Plateau Region, USA. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 24: 990–1008.
Wellnitz, T. A., N. L. Poff, G. Cosyleón & B. Steury, 2001. Current velocity and spatial scale as determinants of the distribution and abundance of two rheophilic herbivorous insects. Landscape Ecology 16: 111–120.
Zalack, J. T., N. J. Smucker & M. L. Vis, 2010. Development of a diatom index of biotic integrity for acid mine drainage impacted streams. Ecological Indicators 10: 287–295.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Handling editor: K. Martens
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hollingsworth, E.K., Vis, M.L. The spatial heterogeneity of diatoms in eight southeastern Ohio streams: how far does a single riffle reach?. Hydrobiologia 651, 173–184 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0294-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0294-8