Synonyms
“Tychopelagic” forms, in reference to diatoms (Hendey, 1964)
Definition
Hendey’s (1964) description of marine tychopelagic diatoms specified that these forms spend a major portion of their life cycle attached to fixed substrata but become planktonic after physical processes suspend them or tear them loose from substrate. Hutchinson (1967), examining freshwater forms, presented a broader definition of tychoplankton, which included pseudoplankton (only occasionally suspended in the water) and meroplankton (spending a part of their life cycle in the plankton). Kuhn et al. (1981) defined tychoplanktonic species as occupying benthic niches but under certain conditions proliferating in the plankton. The utility of distinguishing tychoplankton includes studies of past conditions (paleoecology).
Taxonomy
Most published references to tychoplankton refer to diatoms that are typically found on the bottom or other solid substrate and that enter the water column when physical forces...
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Bibliography
Espinosa, M. A., Hassan, G. S., and Isla, F. I., 2006. Diatom distribution across a temperate microtidal marsh, Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina. Thalassas, 22, 9–16.
Hendey, N. I., 1964. An Introductory Account of the Smaller Algae of British Coastal Waters. Part V. Bacillariophyceae (Diatoms). Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Fishery Investigation Series IV.
Hutchinson, G. E., 1967. A Treatise on Limnology. Volume II. Introduction to Lake Biology and Limnoplankton. New York: Wiley.
Kuhn, D. L., Plafkin, J. L., Cairns, J., Jr., and Lowe, R. L., 1981. Qualitative characterization of aquatic environments using diatom life-form strategies. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, 100, 165–182.
Vos, P. C., and de Wolf, H., 1993. Diatoms as a tool for reconstructing sedimentary environments in coastal Wetlands. Hydrobiologia, 269(270), 285–296.
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Cahoon, L. (2016). Tychoplankton. In: Kennish, M.J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Estuaries. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4_292
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4_292
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