Abstract
Numerous detailed studies have been made of climatically and environmentally influenced macroalgal geographic distribution patterns. However, so far, there have been only a few intrinsic investigations of the geographic distributions of microalgae. In order to investigate the physiological differences among geographically different microalgal strains, six Cosmarium strains were collected from various climate areas and studied. They were grown under a constant light-temperature regime (16°C and 30 μmol photons m−2 s−1) and nutrient supply. The arctic representative, C. crenatum var. boldtianum, and the typical tropical desmid, C. beatum, behaved like algae adapted to high light intensities, as judged from the distinctly high values of photosynthetic capacity and saturating irradiance measured, in accordance with the high solar radiation prevailing in their sampling areas. The arctic taxon appeared more optimally suited to the low cultivation temperature, as evidenced by the relatively high values of growth rates, maximum quantum yield and photosynthetic efficiency measured. The cosmopolitan taxa, C. meneghinii and C. punctulatum var. subpunctulatum, exhibited a high maximum quantum yield and photosynthetic efficiency concomitantly during growth, which explained their ubiquitous distribution. Nevertheless, two clones belonging to C. punctulatum var. subpunctulatum, collected from polar and mountainous tropical regions, differed significantly with regard to cell volume, growth rates, surface area to volume ratio and photosynthetic parameters. The physiological differences between the Cosmarium strains were in accordance with their geographic origin; they are discussed in detail in this study. Moreover, these differences were maintained despite the long-term cultivation under identical and constant laboratory conditions.
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Abbreviations
- S/V:
-
Surface area to volume ratio
- P–I:
-
Photosynthesis-irradiance curve
- PSII:
-
Photosystem II
- rETRmax :
-
Maximum relative electron transport rate
- Ik :
-
Saturating irradiance
- α:
-
Slope of P–I curve, photosynthetic efficiency
- Fv/Fm:
-
Maximum potential quantum yield of PSII
- PFR:
-
Photon flux (fluence) rate
- μ:
-
Growth rate
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Acknowledgments
The first author was supported by a grant from the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD). Dr. D. Stojiljković is acknowledged for valuable lessons in statistics and SPSS software. Dr. F. A. C Kouwets is kindly acknowledged for the critical reading of the manuscript and the fruitful discussion concerning the taxonomic attributes of the Cosmarium taxa studied. M. S. thanks Prof. Dr. L. Kies for his valuable support during this investigation.
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Stamenković, M., Hanelt, D. Growth and photosynthetic characteristics of several Cosmarium strains (Zygnematophyceae, Streptophyta) isolated from various geographic regions under a constant light-temperature regime. Aquat Ecol 45, 455–472 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-011-9367-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-011-9367-7