Distribution and Autecology of Chrysophyte Cysts from High Arctic Svalbard Lakes: Preliminary Evidence of Recent Environmental Change

Abstract

Chrysophycean stomatocyst assemblages were analysed from the sediments of 17 lakes and ponds from Svalbard as one component of a multi-proxy investigation of recent environmental change in the high Arctic. Sediment cores and water chemistry were collected from each of the study lakes, and chrysophyte stomatocysts were investigated from the top 0.25 cm of sediment (present-day) and bottom (i.e. bottom of short sediment core, pre-industrial) sediment samples. This study represents the first undertaking of chrysophyte cyst morphology and distribution on Svalbard. A total of 153 cyst morphotypes were described with light microscopy and/or scanning electron microscopy, of which 21 are new forms.Canonical correspondence analysis indicates that the present-day distribution of cysts is significantly related to pH (p = 0.02), altitude (p = 0.02), and Na + (p = 0.04). Marked shifts in chrysophyte cyst assemblages were recorded between the top and bottom sediment samples of most lakes. Rose et al. (2004) have demonstrated that Svalbard lakes receive atmospheric contaminants from both local and remote sources. The observed assemblage shifts may be the result of the combined effects of these point sources and long-range pollutants, or the effects of recent climate change, or both.

Recent Environmental Change and Atmospheric Contamination on Svalbard as Recorded in Lake Sediments – Modern Limnology, Vegetation, and Pollen Deposition

“…The diatom stratigraphies are from lakes in Group 1 (Q, S), and Group 2 (Arresjøen, Birgervatnet, 'Scurvy Pond'). The chrysophyte cyst 'tops and bottoms' (Betts-Piper et al 2004) are from lakes in all three groups, namely Group 1 (A, B), Group 2 (G, I, J, K, M, N), and Group 3 (O). Spheroidal carbonaceous particle stratigraphies are from lakes in all three chemistry groups (Group 1 (C, Q, S, T), Group 2 (Arresjøen, Birgervatnet, 'Scurvy Pond'), Group 3 (U)).…”

“…Details of the other analytical techniques used in this study are given in the subsequent papers of this special issue (Appleby 2004;Betts-Piper et al 2004;Boyle et al 2004;Brooks and Birks 2004;Jones and Birks 2004;Rose et al 2004). …”

“…The third core was extruded at 0.5 cm intervals and kept as a back-up. Surface sediments (0 -0.25 cm) were collected at the 23 lakes for diatom , pollen (lakes A -K, M -U only), chrysophyte cyst (lakes A -K, M -U only; Betts-Piper et al 2004), and spheroidal carbonaceous particle analyses and the top 0 -1 cm was collected at the same 23 lakes for chironomid analysis (Brooks and Birks 2004). Core 'bottom' samples (1 cm thick) were collected from lakes A -K and M -U for chrysophyte cyst analysis (Betts-Piper et al 2004).…”

Influence of inter-annual environmental variability on chrysophyte cyst assemblages: insight from a 2-years sediment trap study in lakes from northern Poland

“…Similarly, PEARL 41, 164 and 210 have been found at high elevation lakes in the Pyrenees, related to colder temperatures in winter and spring (Pla, 2001;Pla and Catalan, 2005). PEARL 114/115 and 178 have been previously recorded as typical of arctic and mountain lakes, characterized by oligotrophic and/or cold waters (Stewart et al, 2000;Betts-Piper et al, 2004;Soróczki et al, 2014). Hence, different mixing regimes would change the structure of the community (Sandgren, 1988;Reynolds, 2006) and, consequently, the final structure of the stomatocyst assemblage (Pla-Rabes and Catalan, 2011).…”

“…Cyst type PEARL 79 is produced by a chrysophyte species (Dynobrion sociale var. americanum; Betts-Piper et al, 2004) which lives mainly during the spring season (Brook and Woodward, 1956). Other cyst types, like PEARL 1 and 180 were found in low elevation lakes in the Pyrenees (coded as ST001 and ST180, respectively) (Pla, 2001;Pla and Catalan, 2005), and have been found positively correlated to October-March temperatures in sediments of an alpine lake in Switzerland (Kamenik et al, 2010).…”