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On the geographical distribution and ecology of Pseudostaurosira cataractarum (Bacillariophyceae): new findings in the Palearctic and Neotropic ecozones

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to expand the current knowledge on the distribution, ecology and morphology of Pseudostaurosira cataractarum (Hustedt) C.E. Wetzel, E. Morales et Ector. We analysed several freshwater diatom assemblages within the Palearctic (Czech Republic, Europe) and Neotropic ecozones (Argentina and Bolivia, South America). In all localities, small araphids were the dominant or co-dominant group. Inside this group, P. cataractarum was only dominant in the samples from Argentina and Czech Republic, while the Bolivian samples had only a few individuals. RDA and PCA analyses show that the relative abundance of P. cataractarum was positively correlated with water conductivity. The following measurements resulted from the morphometric analysis, apical axis: 2.8–8.2 µm, transapical axis: 2.7–7.2 µm and stria density: 15–29 in 10 µm. In conclusion, the present is the first report of P. cataractarum for continental Europe (from fossil material) and the Neotropic ecozone (from extant populations). Besides having a preference for subaerial habitats, this taxon could be locally conditioned by water conductivity, although in each of the analysed samples this species was associated with cosmopolitan diatoms that are tolerant to a wide range of environmental conditions. Based on the morphometric analyses in studied populations, we propose that the size range for the apical and transapical axes of P. cataractarum should be expanded at the lower end of the range. Likewise, the range of stria density should be expanded since it is wider than that presented for the type population from Indonesia (Java). Consequently, an emended description is presented based on our study and on published data on type and fossil populations.

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Acknowledgments

LG, DE and NIM thank Patricia Escola for her help with the field work in Miriguaca River (Argentina) and Josefina Ramón Mercau for her recommendations and assistance with statistical analysis. EAM thanks the personnel from HCUCB for collecting samples in the Andes of Bolivia. All authors thank Saúl Blanco for his taxonomic recommendations and the reviewers for their suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Catamarca (CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Catamarca), Prado 366, K4700AAP, San Fernando del valle de Catamarca, Catamarca, Argentina

    Lorena Grana

  2. Herbario Criptogámico, Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, Calle M. Márquez esq. Plaza Jorge Trigo s/n, P.O. Box 5381, Cochabamba, Bolivia

    Eduardo A. Morales

  3. Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Paleoecology, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

    Tomáš Bešta

  4. Laboratorio de Diatomeas continentales, DBBE-FCEyN (Universidad de Buenos Aires), Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón III Ciudad Universitaria, CP1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Daniela Echazú & Nora I. Maidana

  5. Environmental Research and Innovation Department (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 rue du Brill, 4422, Belvaux, Luxembourg

    Carlos E. Wetzel & Luc Ector

  6. Instituto Ciências da Terra (ICT), Pólo da Universidade de Évora, Rua Romão Ramalho no. 59, 7000-671, Évora, Portugal

    Maria Helena Novais

  7. Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    Hana Rajdlová

  8. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET), Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, CP1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Nora I. Maidana

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  1. Lorena Grana
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  2. Eduardo A. Morales
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  5. Carlos E. Wetzel
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  8. Luc Ector
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Correspondence to Lorena Grana.

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Grana, L., Morales, E.A., Bešta, T. et al. On the geographical distribution and ecology of Pseudostaurosira cataractarum (Bacillariophyceae): new findings in the Palearctic and Neotropic ecozones. Braz. J. Bot 38, 809–821 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40415-015-0188-0

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