Diatoms of North America
Description:
Climate change and human activities may alter the structure and
function of boreal peatlands by warming waters and changing their
hydrology. Diatoms can be used to assess or track these changes.
However, effective biomonitoring requires consistent, reliable
identification. To address this need, this study developed a diatom
voucher flora of species found across a boreal fen gradient (e.g.,
vegetation) in interior Alaskan peatlands. Composite diatom samples were
collected bi-weekly from three peatland complexes over the 2017 summer.
The morphological range of each taxon was imaged. The fens contained
184 taxa across 38 genera. Eunotia (45), Gomphonema (23), and Pinnularia (20) commonly occurred in each peatland. Tabellaria was common in the rich and moderate fen but sparse in the poor fen. Eunotia
showed the opposite trend. Approximately 11% of species are potentially
novel and 25% percent matched those at risk or declining in status on
the diatom Red List (developed in Germany), highlighting the
conservation value of boreal wetlands. This voucher flora expands
knowledge of regional diatom biodiversity and provides updated,
verifiable taxonomic information for inland Alaskan diatoms, building on
Foged’s 1981 treatment. This flora strengthens the potential to
effectively track changes in boreal waterways sensitive to climate
change and anthropogenic stressors.
Target Audience: This talk is for people interested in diatom distributions, taxonomy, and ecology.
