Valves are dorsiventral, with narrow apices. The dorsal margin is moderately arched. The ventral margin is weakly concave, with a tumid center. The axial area is narrow and the central area is slightly wider than the axial area. The raphe is lateral, narrowing near the proximal and distal ends. Proximal raphe ends are deflected, with weakly inflated pores. The distal raphe ends are comma-shaped and ventrally deflected. Dorsal striae are radiate. Ventral striae are radiate at the valve center and less than 1/4 the valve width, transitioning to convergent near the apices. Areolae number 18-24 in 10 µm.
Stria and areola densities were measured following the method of Spaulding et al. (2010): A: 11-14; B: 6-7.5; C: 9-11; D: 6-8; E: 9-12.
This taxon is a member of a diverse and poorly known group. The group seems to have its greatest diversity in the western and northwestern US, and has yet to be adequately described.
Encyonema kamtschaticum var. parvum is widely distributed in rivers and creeks from western Montana to western Oregon, including the Snake River on the Idaho/Oregon border. The pH of these waters ranges from 7.2 to 8.6 and specific conductance ranges from 27 to 154 µS/cm. Krammer (1997) reports that the variety parva occurs in Mexico and the nominate variety in Colorado.
Two populations of E. kamtscaticum var. parvum are shown below alongside populations of the nominate variety. Variety parvum was a dominant taxon in Rock Creek, Montana, where it was found with the less common nominate variety. The other plate shows taxa in the Encyonema temperei group (formerly the "muelleri" group) from the western United States, including Encyonema kamtschaticum var. parvum and Encyonema kamtschaticum.
Bahls, L. (2016). Encyonema kamtschaticum var. parvum. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved December 16, 2024, from https://diatoms.org/species/51636/encyonema_kamtschaticum_parvum
The 15 response plots show an environmental variable (x axis) against the relative abundance (y axis) of Encyonema kamtschaticum var. parvum from all the stream reaches where it was present. Note that the relative abundance scale is the same on each plot. Explanation of each environmental variable and units are as follows:
ELEVATION = stream reach elevation (meters)
STRAHLER = distribution plot of the Strahler Stream Order
SLOPE = stream reach gradient (degrees)
W1_HALL = an index that is a measure of streamside (riparian) human activity that ranges from 0 - 10, with a value of 0 indicating of minimal disturbance to a value of 10 indicating severe disturbance.
PHSTVL = pH measured in a sealed syringe sample (pH units)
log_COND = log concentration of specific conductivity (µS/cm)
log_PTL = log concentration of total phosphorus (µg/L)
log_NO3 = log concentration of nitrate (µeq/L)
log_DOC = log concentration of dissolved organic carbon (mg/L)
log_SIO2 = log concentration of silicon (mg/L)
log_NA = log concentration of sodium (µeq/L)
log_HCO3 = log concentration of the bicarbonate ion (µeq/L)
EMBED = percent of the stream substrate that is embedded by sand and fine sediment
log_TURBIDITY = log of turbidity, a measure of cloudiness of water, in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU).
DISTOT = an index of total human disturbance in the watershed that ranges from 1 - 100, with a value of 0 indicating of minimal disturbance to a value of 100 indicating severe disturbance.
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