Extreme streams : flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, stream biota is limited by the brief availability of liquid water. The benthic microbial mats harbor diatoms that have adapted to hydrologic stresses, including numerous endemic species. We found a strong relationship between diatom community composition and...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Canada, NRC Research Press
2012
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1139/F2012-022 http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:41672 |
id |
ftunivwestsyd:oai:researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au:uws_41672 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivwestsyd:oai:researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au:uws_41672 2023-05-15T13:32:11+02:00 Extreme streams : flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica Stanish, Lee F. Kohler, Tyler J. Esposito, Rhea M. Simmons, Breana L. Nielsen, Uffe N. (R17023) Wall, Diana H. Nemergut, Diana R. McKnight, Diane M. Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (Host institution) 2012 print 15 https://doi.org/10.1139/F2012-022 http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:41672 eng eng Canada, NRC Research Press Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences--0706-652X--1205-7533 Vol. 69 Issue. 8 pp: 1405-1419 XXXXXX - Unknown journal article Text 2012 ftunivwestsyd https://doi.org/10.1139/F2012-022 2020-12-05T18:40:21Z In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, stream biota is limited by the brief availability of liquid water. The benthic microbial mats harbor diatoms that have adapted to hydrologic stresses, including numerous endemic species. We found a strong relationship between diatom community composition and flow intermittency in a data set including seven streams that spanned a gradient in flow intermittency. In particular, two genera represented by numerous endemic species in Dry Valley habitats, Hantzschia and Luticola, had high abundances in moderately and highly intermittent streams, respectively. The Shannon Index of diversity was greatest in streams with intermediate flow intermittency, with lower diversity in more stable streams resulting from lower evenness, and lower diversity in highly intermittent streams resulting from lower richness. These results indicate that multiple metrics of biodiversity may be useful in assessing the response of diatom communities to changing hydrologic regime. We propose that flow intermittency acts as a species filter that increases habitat heterogeneity in Dry Valley streams and may allow endemic species to persist. Future Antarctic warming may alter diatom community composition and habitats that act as refugia for desiccation-tolerant taxa. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys University of Western Sydney (UWS): Research Direct Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 69 8 1405 1419 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Western Sydney (UWS): Research Direct |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwestsyd |
language |
English |
topic |
XXXXXX - Unknown |
spellingShingle |
XXXXXX - Unknown Stanish, Lee F. Kohler, Tyler J. Esposito, Rhea M. Simmons, Breana L. Nielsen, Uffe N. (R17023) Wall, Diana H. Nemergut, Diana R. McKnight, Diane M. Extreme streams : flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
XXXXXX - Unknown |
description |
In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, stream biota is limited by the brief availability of liquid water. The benthic microbial mats harbor diatoms that have adapted to hydrologic stresses, including numerous endemic species. We found a strong relationship between diatom community composition and flow intermittency in a data set including seven streams that spanned a gradient in flow intermittency. In particular, two genera represented by numerous endemic species in Dry Valley habitats, Hantzschia and Luticola, had high abundances in moderately and highly intermittent streams, respectively. The Shannon Index of diversity was greatest in streams with intermediate flow intermittency, with lower diversity in more stable streams resulting from lower evenness, and lower diversity in highly intermittent streams resulting from lower richness. These results indicate that multiple metrics of biodiversity may be useful in assessing the response of diatom communities to changing hydrologic regime. We propose that flow intermittency acts as a species filter that increases habitat heterogeneity in Dry Valley streams and may allow endemic species to persist. Future Antarctic warming may alter diatom community composition and habitats that act as refugia for desiccation-tolerant taxa. |
author2 |
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (Host institution) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Stanish, Lee F. Kohler, Tyler J. Esposito, Rhea M. Simmons, Breana L. Nielsen, Uffe N. (R17023) Wall, Diana H. Nemergut, Diana R. McKnight, Diane M. |
author_facet |
Stanish, Lee F. Kohler, Tyler J. Esposito, Rhea M. Simmons, Breana L. Nielsen, Uffe N. (R17023) Wall, Diana H. Nemergut, Diana R. McKnight, Diane M. |
author_sort |
Stanish, Lee F. |
title |
Extreme streams : flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_short |
Extreme streams : flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full |
Extreme streams : flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Extreme streams : flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Extreme streams : flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_sort |
extreme streams : flow intermittency as a control on diatom communities in meltwater streams in the mcmurdo dry valleys, antarctica |
publisher |
Canada, NRC Research Press |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1139/F2012-022 http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:41672 |
geographic |
Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
op_relation |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences--0706-652X--1205-7533 Vol. 69 Issue. 8 pp: 1405-1419 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/F2012-022 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
container_volume |
69 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
1405 |
op_container_end_page |
1419 |
_version_ |
1766024867992305664 |