engleski

Phytoplankton functional and morpho-functional approach in large floodplain rivers

Influence of hydrological characteristics and nutrient concentrations on phytoplankton was investigated in four large rivers (Mura, Drava, Danube and Sava) in the Pannonian ecoregion in Croatia to understand how phytoplankton of rivers can be explained by the “different functional group approach”. To gain a clearer understanding of the factors that affect river phytoplankton, the present study examined phytoplankton biomass and composition in relationship with physical and chemical parameters assessed in detail by preparing self-organising maps using functional groups and morpho-functional groups. Total nitrogen along with water residence time showed to be the best predictor to determine phytoplankton biomass and chlorophyll a. Phytoplankton diversity increased with higher water discharge, but it had the consequence of diluting algae and decreasing biomass. Bacillariophyceae and Chlorophyceae species dominated the phytoplankton assemblages in all rivers. Diatoms predominated in rivers with shorter residence time. Dominant diatom codons of functional groups were C, D and TB while morpho- functional groups were represented by only diatom group VI. As residence time increased, the proportion of chlorococcalean green algae, represented by functional group codon T and morpho-functional group IV grew in summer. Since potamoplankton is dominated by diatoms, functional groups with its fine partition of diatom codons proved to be excellent descriptor of the potamoplankton. Application of morpho-functional groups originally developed from the lake data, showed to be limiting because of the predominating presence of only one diatom group.

otamoplankton dynamics ; nutrients ; river discharge ; water residence time ; large rivers

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