Relationship of cyanobacterial and algal assemblages with vegetation in the high Arctic tundra (West Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago)

Abstract

Abstract:The paper presents the results of a study of cyanobacteria and green algae assem− blages occurring in various tundra types determined on the basis of mosses and vascular plants and habitat conditions. The research was carried out during summer in the years 2009-2013 on the north sea−coast of Hornsund fjord (West Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipel− ago). 58 sites were studied in various tundra types differing in composition of vascular plants, mosses and in trophy and humidity. 141 cyanobacteria and green algae were noted in the research area in total. Cyanobacteria and green algae flora is a significant element of many tundra types and sometimes even dominate there. Despite its importance, it has not been hitherto taken into account in the description and classification of tundra. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the legitimacy of using phycoflora in supplementing the descriptions of hitherto described tundra and distinguishing new tundra types. Numeric hierarchical−accumulative classification (MVSP 3.1 software) methods were used to ana− lyze the cyanobacterial and algal assemblages and their co−relations with particular tundra types. The analysis determined dominant and distinctive species in the communities in con− cordance with ecologically diverse types of tundra. The results show the importance of these organisms in the composition of the vegetation of tundra types and their role in the ecosystems of this part of the Arctic.

Cyanobacterial and algal diversity in the vicinity of two different seabird colonies in Spitsbergen

“…Phormidium autumnale is a species with a wide spectrum of occurrence in polar regions Strunecký et al 2010) and prefers sites with higher nitrogen concentrations but does not occur in sites with high phosphorus concentrations (Heath et al 2014;Brasell et al 2015). Similarly, Prasiola crispa is a typical species in cold-temperate regions, where it is usually associated with habitats rich in organic nitrogen (Graeve et al 2002;Holzinger et al 2006;Matuła et al 2007;Richter et al 2009;Broady et al 2012;Richter et al 2014Richter et al , 2015.…”

“…The increased proportion of Phormidium autumnale in the assemblage means that the humidity of the soil increased, creating optimal conditions for this species (Matuła et al 2007;Richter et al 2014Richter et al , 2015. All these factors led to the formation of an assemblage rich in cyanobacteria and algae.…”

“…Depending on requirements, tolerance and adaptation capabilities, species richness and plant community coverage (including cyanobacterial and algal assemblages) change (Theodose and Bowman 1997;Pennings et al 2005;Zelenskaya and Khoreva 2006;Smykla et al 2007). That way ornithocoprophilous habitats characterized by particular cyanobacterial and algal assemblages, mosses and vascular plant communities form in the range of nesting birds (Hogg and Morton 1983;Myrcha and Tatur 1991;Elvebakk 1994;Matuła et al 2007;Jakubas et al 2008;Richter et al 2009Richter et al , 2014Richter et al , 2015Zwolicki et al 2015).…”

Cyanobacterial and green algal assemblages in various tundra habitats in the high Arctic (West Spitsbergen, Norway)

“…Although several studies have indicated the influence of physicochemical parameters of water and soil (especially the availability of nutrients) on the formation of cyanobacterial and algal assemblages [24,26,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47], they do not address some important issues. In the majority of the publications, the relationships between cyanobacterial and algal assemblages and environmental factors are determined for specific ecosystems or habitats, e.g., lakes, rivers, streams, soil, snow, and glacier.…”

Growth of floating hook-moss (Warnstorfia fluitans) differs with nutrient and water flow adjustments in greenhouse and cold room conditions

“…The high nitrogen ratio could be the reason for eutrophication, accelerated by the high ambient temperatures in our experiment, as nitrogen has been proven as a factor of eutrophication in several previous studies [ 26 , 27 ]; (Riis et al, 2010). The nutrient addition with increasing light and temperature in periods 1 and 2 likely caused algal overgrowth and disruption of the symbiosis between moss and epiphytic cyanobacteria, which fix nitrogen on moss surfaces [ [28] , [29] , [30] ]. The high N:P ratio at the beginning of the experiment may have limited the growth of the moss throughout the experiment.…”