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Freshwater and/or Brackish Diatoms: Ecology and Bioindication
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Freshwater and/or Brackish Diatoms: Ecology and Bioindication

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity and Functionality of Aquatic Ecosystems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 11357

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristina Delgado Núñez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
Interests: limnology; ecology; rivers; diatoms; taxonomy
Dr. Maria Helena Novais

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Évora, 7000-671 Evora, Portugal
Interests: freshwater ecology; diatoms; temporary rivers; taxonomy; water-energy nexus
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human activities have important effects on the hydrosphere, being freshwater (streams, rivers, lakes) and transition ecosystems (where brackish waters are found) particularly affected by these anthropogenic impacts. Microscopic algae have been widely used in environmental studies throughout the planet to evaluate impacts in aquatic ecosystems. Particularly, diatoms are one of the most used algal groups in ecological studies to evaluate environmental changes in freshwater and brackish water ecosystems since they are a highly diverse and widespread group and are sensitive bioindicators of environmental conditions since they respond quickly to changes in physicochemical parameters. Furthermore, apart from the taxonomic composition, diatom life-forms and ecological guilds can also provide information regarding the aquatic ecosystems where they occur.

Therefore, it is important to deepen our knowledge of the ecology and taxonomy of these eukaryotic algae in these sensitive aquatic ecosystems. The scope of this Special Issue is to delve into ecological aspects of diatoms and their use as bioindicators in freshwater and brackish aquatic environments. In this issue, we would like to invite authors to discuss the next points:

  • Ecology of freshwater and/or brackish diatoms in natural aquatic ecosystems or in experimental studies;
  • Studies on the use of diatoms for bioindication in rivers, lakes, estuarine environments, coastal or inland lagoons with freshwater or brackish diatom species;
  • Taxonomy of freshwater and/or brackish diatoms;
  • Application of legal directives on the use of diatoms for bioindication purposes;
  • Development of diatom-based metrics to evaluate the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems.

Dr. Cristina Delgado Núñez
Dr. Maria Helena Novais
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biofilm
  • biodiversity
  • conservation and restauration
  • diatom traits
  • environmental assessment
  • eutrophication
  • human pressures
  • monitoring
  • taxonomy
  • water quality management

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 6419 KiB  
Article
Three New Nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) Species from Highly Acidic Artificial Lakes in Çanakkale, Türkiye
by Tuğba Ongun Sevindik, Paul Brian Hamilton, Cüneyt Nadir Solak, Elif Yilmaz and Uğur Güzel
Water 2023, 15(21), 3784; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15213784 - 29 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1456
Abstract
Çanakkale is located in Western Anatolia, a region known for extensive mining in the country. In this study, three new species: Nitzschia arslaniana sp. nov., Nitzschia efeiana sp. nov., and Nitzschia szaboiana sp. nov. are described from highly acidic environments in Çanakkale. In [...] Read more.
Çanakkale is located in Western Anatolia, a region known for extensive mining in the country. In this study, three new species: Nitzschia arslaniana sp. nov., Nitzschia efeiana sp. nov., and Nitzschia szaboiana sp. nov. are described from highly acidic environments in Çanakkale. In morphology, Nitzschia arslaniana is similar to Nitzschia inconspicua but Nitzschia inconspicua is broader, with a lower fibulae density. Nitzschia efeiana is similar to Nitzschia. bremensis, Nitzschia capitellata, Nitzschia homburgiensis, Nitzschia hybrida, Nitzschia palustris, and Nitzschia pellucida. However, Nitzschia efeiana has variable fibulae widths, thickened virgae on its external valve face, and an elevated ridge on the valve margin opposite the keel. Nitzschia szaboiana is similar to Nitzschia pusilla, but the later taxon has a higher striae density. This study highlights the unique species diversity of extreme environments, including anthropogenic extreme environments, by describing three new taxa in the same genus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater and/or Brackish Diatoms: Ecology and Bioindication)
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52 pages, 40883 KiB  
Article
A Voucher Flora of Diatoms from Fens in the Tanana River Floodplain, Alaska
by Veronica A. Hamilton, Sylvia S. Lee, Allison R. Rober, Paula C. Furey, Kalina M. Manoylov and Kevin H. Wyatt
Water 2023, 15(15), 2803; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15152803 - 2 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2190
Abstract
Climate change and human activities may alter the structure and function of boreal peatlands by warming waters and changing their hydrology. Diatoms can be used to assess or track these changes. However, effective biomonitoring requires consistent, reliable identification. To address this need, this [...] Read more.
Climate change and human activities may alter the structure and function of boreal peatlands by warming waters and changing their hydrology. Diatoms can be used to assess or track these changes. However, effective biomonitoring requires consistent, reliable identification. To address this need, this study developed a diatom voucher flora of species found across a boreal fen gradient (e.g., vegetation) in interior Alaskan peatlands. Composite diatom samples were collected bi-weekly from three peatland complexes over the 2017 summer. The morphological range of each taxon was imaged. The fens contained 184 taxa across 38 genera. Eunotia (45), Gomphonema (23), and Pinnularia (20) commonly occurred in each peatland. Tabellaria was common in the rich and moderate fen but sparse in the poor fen. Eunotia showed the opposite trend. Approximately 11% of species are potentially novel and 25% percent matched those at risk or declining in status on the diatom Red List (developed in Germany), highlighting the conservation value of boreal wetlands. This voucher flora expands knowledge of regional diatom biodiversity and provides updated, verifiable taxonomic information for inland Alaskan diatoms, building on Foged’s 1981 treatment. This flora strengthens the potential to effectively track changes in boreal waterways sensitive to climate change and anthropogenic stressors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater and/or Brackish Diatoms: Ecology and Bioindication)
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7 pages, 1382 KiB  
Article
River Diatoms Reflect Better Past than Current Environmental Conditions
by Raquel Viso and Saúl Blanco
Water 2023, 15(2), 333; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15020333 - 12 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2318
Abstract
The time required for diatom assemblages to integrate the abiotic variables of the aquatic environment has been subject of discussion for many years, with contrasting opinions as shown by field observations and experiments. Numerous diatom-based water quality indices are being used in the [...] Read more.
The time required for diatom assemblages to integrate the abiotic variables of the aquatic environment has been subject of discussion for many years, with contrasting opinions as shown by field observations and experiments. Numerous diatom-based water quality indices are being used in the bioassessment of freshwaters; one of the most widely used (Specific Polluosensitivity Index or SPI) is compared in this study with water quality status as measured by the Water Quality Index (WQI) obtained from limnological parameters measured at 37 fluvial stations belonging to the Duero Basin (NW Spain). The correlation existing between both metrics was determined using different time lags between water and diatom sample collection. Results show that the correlation coefficient increases as the time gap decreases, but is maximal when comparing WQI scores measured one month before diatom sampling. We thus confirm the initial hypothesis that diatom indices actually indicate past (1 month ago) and not current water conditions in rivers. The practical consequences of this finding are briefly discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater and/or Brackish Diatoms: Ecology and Bioindication)
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20 pages, 3222 KiB  
Article
Short-Term Effect of Eucalyptus Leachates on Green Food Webs in Headwaters
by Lorena González-Paz, Josué Gestido, Cristina Delgado, Nuria Pedrol and Isabel Pardo
Water 2023, 15(1), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15010115 - 29 Dec 2022
Viewed by 2272
Abstract
Despite the reported allelopathic nature of the Eucalyptus genus, eucalypt leachates have unknown effects on the trophic base of stream green food webs. Eucalypt plantations have increased worldwide, including riparian ecosystems. We aimed to test whether short-term eucalypt leachates might alter water chemistry, [...] Read more.
Despite the reported allelopathic nature of the Eucalyptus genus, eucalypt leachates have unknown effects on the trophic base of stream green food webs. Eucalypt plantations have increased worldwide, including riparian ecosystems. We aimed to test whether short-term eucalypt leachates might alter water chemistry, periphytic algal biomass and diatoms, and herbivorous invertebrates’ (i.e., scrapers). We studied two oligotrophic and well-preserved headwaters from NW Spain. The experiment followed a before-after control-impact paired (BACIp) design, with weekly sampling before and after eucalypt leaves addition to streams. In the stream with lower discharge, the eucalypt treatments seemed to affect increases in biomass accrual (Chl-a) and diatom assemblages, disfavouring sensitive species (e.g., Eunotia minor and Achnanthidium pyrenaicum). Therefore, the ecological status was reduced from high to good. In the stream with higher discharge, invertebrate assemblages changed with scrapers having their abundances modified in comparison with the control (e.g., Habrophlebia sp. and Elmidae). Results suggest that eucalypt leaves leachates exert toxic effects on periphyton and on diatom and invertebrate assemblages, and this effect might be mediated by discharge. Alterations at the base of stream food webs may compromise their good ecological status. Further studies are necessary to identify whether this toxicity is due to allelopathic processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater and/or Brackish Diatoms: Ecology and Bioindication)
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22 pages, 2510 KiB  
Article
Exploring Key Determinants of the Periphytic Diatom Community in a Southern Brazilian Micro-Watershed
by Gabriela Medeiros, André Andrian Padial, Mailor Wellinton Wedig Amaral, Ricardo Guicho, Maria Clara Pilatti, Silvio Cesar Sampaio, Thelma Alvim Veiga Ludwig, Norma Catarina Bueno and Ralpho Rinaldo dos Reis
Water 2022, 14(23), 3913; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14233913 - 1 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2060
Abstract
Associating anthropogenic effects with variations in biodiversity is key to understanding how anthropogenic impacts are extrapolated in public supply micro-watersheds. The structure and dynamics of metacommunities in aquatic environments depend not only on the river network itself, but on a multitude of factors. [...] Read more.
Associating anthropogenic effects with variations in biodiversity is key to understanding how anthropogenic impacts are extrapolated in public supply micro-watersheds. The structure and dynamics of metacommunities in aquatic environments depend not only on the river network itself, but on a multitude of factors. Therefore, we associate the density and species richness of diatoms, assessed in a micro-watershed, with the following driver factors: local environmental variables, spatial variables, landscape characteristics, and the historical community, comparing their possible dispersal routes. Variance partitioning was performed using partial RDA models, with prior selection of predictor variables, to estimate the relative role of each predictor in the diatom community. The small scale of the micro-watershed resulted in a small spatial gradient, reflecting in the low variation in community richness across sampling stations. However, temporal heterogeneity associated with fluctuating precipitation throughout the year may cause temporal variation in the relative abundance of species. This pattern is a result of the supply of resources that increases biodiversity over time, as it allows the coexistence of species that alternate between dominance and persistence. Thus, even on a small scale and during one year of sampling, we demonstrated that predictors of different natures act together to explain diatom communities in micro-watersheds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater and/or Brackish Diatoms: Ecology and Bioindication)
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