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Diversity and distribution of phototrophic primary producers in saline lakes from Transylvania, Romania

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Abstract

Phototrophic primary producers are regarded as valuable indicators in aquatic habitats, since they are spread in a wide range of environmental conditions. However, the communities harbored by extreme ecosystems such as the saline lakes have been scarcely investigated with respect to their diversity and roles in the ecosystem functioning. The present study investigates the structure, diversity, and distribution of autotrophs from 19 lakes located in the Transylvanian Basin (Romania). Overall, 83 aquatic taxa were identified, belonging to Bacillariophyta (67), Cyanobacteria (10), Chlorophyta (4), Euglenophyta (1), and Xanthophyta (1). Standardized limnological methods were employed for sampling and analyses: measurements of morphometric, physical and chemical parameters, sampling techniques, optical microscopy identification of taxa and multivariate processing of data. Because saline lakes typically sustain undiversified biotic communities, usually well adapted to extreme conditions, we hypothesized that: (1) The main environmental driver of taxonomic diversity (expressed as species richness) would be the salinity; and (2) the same halophilic dominant taxa would occur in all hypersaline lakes (TDS > 50 g L−1). However, our results disproved both statements. Firstly, salinity was found to be an important driver of taxa diversity, but only subsequent to high habitat heterogeneity, lake area and nutrient concentrations. Secondly, high percentages of halotolerant, and not halophilic species were found, together with increased numbers of rare species (appearing in only one lake). Thus, the present study helps improve the current knowledge on the diversity of primary producers from saline lakes, opening new perspectives in understanding the functioning of such extreme environments.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported through grants of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project numbers PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0546 and PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016-0303. We are grateful to Dr. O. Mera, D. Buta, J. Nagy-Fülöp, and I. Costea for granting the permission to enter the study areas. We thank Dr. E.A. Levei, A.M. Incze, and Dr. M. Șenilă at INCDO-INOE 2000—Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation (Cluj-Napoca, Romania) for performing the chemical analyses of sampled water.

Funding

This study was funded by the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS—UEFISCDI (grant numbers PN-II-ID-PCE-2011–3-0546 and PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2016–0303).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Str., 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Anca M. Şuteu, Laura Momeu, Karina P. Battes & Mirela Cîmpean

  2. Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Str., 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Andreea Baricz, Adorján Cristea, Paul A. Bulzu, Doriana M. Buda & Horia L. Banciu

  3. National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences (NIRDBS), Institute of Biological Research, 48 Republicii Str., 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Andreea Baricz

  4. Molecular Biology Center, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babeş-Bolyai University, 42 August Treboniu Laurian Str., 400271, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Paul A. Bulzu

  5. Center for Systems Biology, Biodiversity, and Bioresources, Babeş-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Str., 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Karina P. Battes, Horia L. Banciu & Mirela Cîmpean

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  1. Anca M. Şuteu
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  2. Laura Momeu
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Correspondence to Karina P. Battes.

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Online Resource 1. List of the main physico-chemical and morphometric parameters measured for the 19 saline lakes from the Transylvanian Basin (central Romania), together with habitat heterogeneity classes.

Online Resource 2. Segregation of taxa groups along the two major Principal Component Analysis (PCA) axes, based on their presence in the 19 saline lakes considered for the present study (axes F1 and F2: 52.87%).

Online Resource 3. List of the parameters considered in the Partial Least Square Regression (PLS-R) analyses.

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Şuteu, A.M., Momeu, L., Battes, K.P. et al. Diversity and distribution of phototrophic primary producers in saline lakes from Transylvania, Romania. Plant Syst Evol 307, 12 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-020-01733-0

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