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Filamentous green algae in freshwater streams on Signy Island, Antarctica

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High Latitude Limnology

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 49))

Abstract

The streams of Signy Island are varied and extremely seasonal environments. Water flows from November/December to March/April; streams are frozen for the rest of the year. Streams usually flow through small, barren catchments and are nutrient poor, though they may be enriched by dense summer populations of seabirds and seals. Temperatures are consistently low. Stream depth is maximal during the spring melt period, declining over the course of the summer. Vegetation is exclusively algal, and filamentous chlorophytes from a particularly conspicuous component. Small numbers of vegetative cells survive the long frozen period in situ. A steady increase in standing crop results in a maximum 2 to 3 months after flow begins. Sloughing is the major loss mechanism and grazers are effectively absent. Three taxa of filamentous algae are common in Signy streams, species of Zygnema, Mougeotia and Klebsormidium. The distributions of these algae are described and related to physical and chemical features of their environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross Site, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK

    Ian Hawes

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  1. Ian Hawes
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Taupo Research Laboratory, Division of Marine & Freshwater Science, DSIR, Taupo, New Zealand

    Warwick F. Vincent

  2. British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, UK

    J. Cynan Ellis-Evans

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© 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Hawes, I. (1989). Filamentous green algae in freshwater streams on Signy Island, Antarctica. In: Vincent, W.F., Ellis-Evans, J.C. (eds) High Latitude Limnology. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 49. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2603-5_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2603-5_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7674-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-2603-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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