Abstract
Since 2000, the entire Antarctic diatom flora is being revised using a more fine-grained taxonomy based on a better analysis and interpretation of the morphological and molecular observations. Despite the increased diatom research and efforts, the diversity and ecology of diatoms of lichen inhabiting flora of James Ross Island weren’t studied yet. To reveal the actual diatom diversity, samples were collected during February and March 2018 from lichens on the Ulu Peninsula, James Ross Island, a 2,450 km2 large island, situated in the north-western part of the Weddell Sea, close to the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The analysis of 29 lichen samples revealed the presence of 56 diatom taxa belonging to 17 genera. The most abundant species were Luticola muticopsis, Hantzschia amphioxys f. muelleri, Pinnularia borealisvar.scalaris, Luticola aff. pusilla and Achnanthes muelleri. Biogeographically, the lichen-inhabiting diatom flora of the Ulu Peninsula is composed of cosmopolitan, Antarctic and endemic elements. The present study is the first focusing on the diversity of lichen-inhabiting diatom communities on James Ross Island, revealing the presence of a rather species rich diatom flora.
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