Abstract
ABSTRACTAquatic hyphomycete conidial trapping efficiency by the banyan (F. benghalensis L.) latex-coated glass slides was tested diurnally (3 h intervals) in the Western Ghats (Sampaje) and west coast (Konaje) streams in relation to abiotic factors (humidity, air temperature and water temperature). The conidial trapping efficiency of latex-coated slides was compared with plain glass slides and drift conidia in water. Three methods of assessment showed higher species richness, conidial richness and diversity in Sampaje than in Konaje stream. In both streams, species richness, conidial richness and diversity in latex-coated slides were the highest followed by conidia in water and plain slides. Three-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in overall species and conidial richness between the streams, sampling methods and time of sampling (p < 0.001). Multiple comparisons by Holm–Sidak test revealed significant differences in overall species and conidial richness between Sampaje and Konaje (p < 0.001); latex-coated slides and plain slides (p < 0.001); latex-coated slides and water filtration (p < 0.001); plain slides and water filtration (p < 0.001). Total species, total conidia and diversity assessed by the three methods peaked during 12 am–3 am in Sampaje stream, while during 3 am–6 am in Konaje stream. Cooler conditions due to relatively low water temperature favoured higher diversity of aquatic hyphomycetes in Sampaje than in Konaje stream. The three methods employed in the present study were not biased towards scolecoid or stauroid conidia. The top five species in both streams was composed of both types of conidia corroborating earlier annual or biannual studies in Konaje and Sampaje streams. Thus, assessment of population of aquatic hyphomycetes using banyan latex-coated slides will be advantageous over plain slides and drift conidia in streams.
Highlights
Aquatic hyphomycetes are geographically widespread mycota involved in detritus decomposition and mediates energy flow in streams (Bärlocher and Kendrick 1974; Suberkropp and Klug 1976; Gessner and Chauvet 1994; Duarte et al 2016)
Sophisticated techniques are followed, simple methods are still valid for exploratory surveys in streams of different geographic locations (Descals 1997)
Studies on conidial morphology and ontogeny resulted in description of diverse aquatic hyphomycetes throughout the world (Ingold 1975; Marvanová 1997; Gulis et al 2005)
Summary
Aquatic hyphomycetes are geographically widespread mycota involved in detritus decomposition and mediates energy flow in streams (Bärlocher and Kendrick 1974; Suberkropp and Klug 1976; Gessner and Chauvet 1994; Duarte et al 2016). Different techniques are necessary to understand the assemblage, diversity and function of aquatic hyphomycetes in streams (e.g. conventional, biochemical and molecular methods). Some of the important conventional methods employed to study them in streams include: (i) Enumeration of drift conidia in water (microscopic observation and membrane filtration) (Iqbal and Webster 1973a; Müller-Haeckel and Marvanová 1979; Sridhar and Sudheep 2010); (ii) Conidial assessment in foam or scum (microscopic observation) (Ingold 1975); (iii) Conidial adhesion on artificial or natural traps (e.g. cellophane, plexiglass and rosin-coated slides and latex-coated slides) and microscopic assessment (Lindsey and Glover 1976; Müller-Haeckel and Marvanová 1976; Bärlocher et al 1977; Ghate and Sridhar 2015); (iv) Direct microscopic examination of fungal growth and sporulation in substrata (incubation of segments of leaf detritus in distilled water in Petri plates) (Ingold 1942).
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