Enhanced ecological indication based on combined planktic and benthic functional approaches in large river phytoplankton ecology

Wang, Chao and B-Béres, Viktória and Stenger-Kovács, Csilla and Li, Xinhui and Abonyi, András (2018) Enhanced ecological indication based on combined planktic and benthic functional approaches in large river phytoplankton ecology. HYDROBIOLOGIA, 818 (1). pp. 163-175. ISSN 0018-8158

Preview	Text WangC_BBeresV_etal_ms.pdf Download (4MB) | Preview
	Text WangC_BBeresV_etal_vegl.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (1MB) | Request a copy
Preview	Text WangC_BBeresV_etal_suppl.pdf Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

The occurrence of benthic diatoms in large river plankton is considered to be highly stochastic. Accordingly, the widely-applied phytoplankton functional group concept sensu Reynolds (FG) classifies all benthic diatom taxa together. Based on data of a high frequency 1-year long phytoplankton survey of the Pearl River (China), we tested whether the combination of the FG system with various trait-based classifications of benthic diatoms enhances our ability in predicting the community composition from the local environment. Using the Self Organizing Map approach, we identified characteristic community compositions based on (i) taxonomic data, (ii) the FG approach, and (iii) the FG system combined with trait-based functional approaches of benthic diatoms: size structure, ecological guilds, and eco-morphological groups. All combined functional approaches enabled better predictions for the community composition than the taxonomic data or the FG system alone. The most reliable approach was the combination of the FG system with ecological guilds of benthic diatoms. Therefore, the occurrence of benthic diatoms in large river phytoplankton can be assessed ecologically in a meaningful way based on combined planktic and benthic functional classifications. The application of such an approach seems to be highly relevant in large river phytoplankton ecology, ecological modelling, or ecological status indication.

Actions (login required)

Edit Item