Diatoms as bioindicators in rivers

Auteurs

E. A. Lobo, C. G. Heinrich, M. Schuch, C. E. Wetzel, and L. Ector

Référence

in River Algae, O. Necchi JR, (Ed.), Springer, pp. 245-271, 2016

Description

Diatoms have been widely used to detect changes in streams and rivers water quality due to their specific sensibility to a variety of ecological conditions. Their tolerances and preferences for pH, conductivity, salinity, humidity, organic matter, saprobity, trophic state, oxygen requirements, nutrients, and current velocity in freshwater streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and estuaries have been defined, and diatoms have also been used in paleolimnological studies. Biotic indices using diatoms based on the relative abundance of the species weighted by their autoecological values have been developed worldwide, though indices of biotic integrity based on periphyton, diatoms, non-diatom “soft” algae, including cyanobacteria, macroalgae, and macrophytes assemblages have been also developed for biological monitoring. A new approach for water quality evaluation utilizing diatoms has been increasing significantly in recent years, by applying molecular techniques using DNA sequences. Molecular identification has the potential to provide revolutionary discoveries in taxonomy that may have great benefits for bioassessment. This chapter provides an overview of the state of the art of studies related to river quality evaluation using epilithic diatom communities worldwide. Most studies highlight the use of biotic indices to summarize floristic data to assess pollution effects on aquatic communities.

Lien

doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-31984-1_11