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THE DISTRIBUTION OF EDAPHIC DIATOMS ALONG ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENTS OF A LOUISIANA SALT MARSH 1
Author(s) -
Cook Lawrence L.,
Whipple Stephen A.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1982.tb03157.x
Subject(s) - edaphic , biology , salt marsh , brackish water , brackish marsh , euryhaline , salinity , diatom , marsh , ecology , botany , halophyte , oceanography , wetland , geology , soil water
Edaphic (sediment‐associated) diatoms were collected from five sites along a gradient from slightly brackish to saline marsh on 30 November 1977 and 29 April 1978. Several environmental factors change along this gradient in addition to salinity, including tidal flushing and percent organic content of the soil. A total of 112 taxa were identified, with Amphora exigua Greg., Navicula phyllepta Kütz., N. salinarum Grun., and N. tripunctata (Müll.) Bory being among the five most abundant taxa on both sampling dates. The taxonomic composition of the diatom flora was very similar to those observed for other salt marshes located along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Diatom taxa were generally euryhaline and distributed continuously along the gradient from brackish to saline marsh. Species diversity (H 1 ) and the number of taxa in a sample (S) were also similar to those reported for other North American salt marshes. The number of taxa in a sample was higher in the saline than in the brackish area on both sampling dates while species diversity was greater in the saline area only in April.