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Type: Article
Published: 2017-06-02
Page range: 54–65
Abstract views: 24
PDF downloaded: 1

Nitzschia austriaca Hustedt: a characteristic diatom of Hungarian inland saline waters including a morphological comparison with the type material

MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, 1113 Budapest, Karolina út 29, Hungary.
MTA Centre for Ecological Research, GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group, 8237 Tihany, Klebelsberg K. u. 3, Hungary.
Environmental Research and Innovation Department (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg.
WasserCluster Lunz, Dr. Carl Kupelwieser Promenade 5, AT-3293, Lunz am See, Austria.
MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, 1113 Budapest, Karolina út 29, Hungary.
MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, 1113 Budapest, Karolina út 29, Hungary.
MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, 1113 Budapest, Karolina út 29, Hungary.
MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, 1113 Budapest, Karolina út 29, Hungary. University of Debrecen, Department of Hydrobiology, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1., Hungary.
MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, 1113 Budapest, Karolina út 29, Hungary.
Environmental Research and Innovation Department (ERIN), Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41 rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg.
Nitzschia austriaca N. frustulum soda pans sodic ponds type material Algae

Abstract

A detailed scanning electron microscopic investigation was carried out to clarify the taxonomic status of a small sigmoid Nitzschia species, a potential indicator of Central European soda waters. We found this taxon to be one of the dominant epiphytic diatoms collected from sodic bomb crater ponds at Apaj (Hungary). The large population allowed for a morphometric comparison based on frustule ultrastructure with the type material of the most similar species, Nitzschia austriaca Hustedt that was originally described from a soda pan in the region. The results clearly demonstrated an overlap between the Apaj population and the type material of N. austriaca (based on NMDS analysis), therefore we argue that they represent the same taxon. An emended diagnosis of N. austriaca is given. Total suspended solids and total phosphorous proved to be the most important factors predicting the occurrence of the species, with possible interactive effects of conductivity and pH. We then expanded the distribution of the species by revisiting data originating from previous large-scale surveys targeting sodic habitats in Hungary. On the basis of our results, N. austriaca is a characteristic species for Central European soda waters, including the protected astatic soda pans, indicating their typical chemical and physical characteristics.