Subaerial eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria on dripping rocks in the Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil: composition and abundance

Autor: C. E. M. Bicudo, Vera L. M. Huszar, Juliana B. O. Santos, Maria da Graça Sophia, Carolina D. Domingues, Lúcia H. S. Silva
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: Brazilian Journal of Botany. 39:741-749
ISSN: 1806-9959
0100-8404
DOI: 10.1007/s40415-016-0261-3
Popis: The abundance and composition of subaerial eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria on dripping rocks are affected by natural and anthropogenic factors. This study evaluated the composition, species richness, and abundance of these microorganisms on two dripping rocks in southeastern Brazil, under different anthropogenic influences. Samples were collected during two seasons (winter and summer) on two dripping rocks in the Atlantic Forest: one located in a protected, and the other in an urban area. Material on the rocks was scraped and quantified by the sedimentation method. Total taxa richness was high (222), and the richness and abundance of both eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria were affected by the climate, especially in summer. The higher total abundance on the impacted dripping rock was probably related to greater nutrient availability. However, direct exposure to sunlight and less available moisture seemed to affect all groups of microorganisms, favoring large mucilaginous and sheathed cyanobacteria. The protected non-impacted dripping rock supported a lower total abundance, with a larger contribution of diatoms, which are more sensitive to desiccation. The method used in this study to quantify eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria populations in moist vertical environments was efficient in contributing to our knowledge of the diversity and ecology of these microorganisms in similar systems.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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