Abstract
This study presents results of the inventory of algal flora conducted between August 2007 and May 2008 in 18 lakes of the middle Rio Doce lake system, most of which is in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We recorded 481 taxa, increasing the known total phytoplankton diversity of the region (gamma diversity) by 80%. The following classes were represented: Zygnematophyceae (171 taxa), Cyanobacteria (101), Chlorophyceae (71), Bacillariophyceae (42), Euglenophyceae (43), Trebouxiophyceae (24), Dinophyceae (8), Xanthophyceae (8), Chrysophyceae (6), Cryptophyceae (6) and Oedogoniophyceae (1). We identified 221 taxa that were rare (restricted to one or two lakes), and 101 that were considered representative (present in at least nine lakes). Botryococcus braunii, Elakatothrix genevensis, Planktolyngbya limnetica, Peridinium pusillum, Trachelomonas volvocina, Cosmarium contractum, Staurastrum forficulatum, Staurastrum leptocladum, Staurastrum rotula, and Staurodesmus dejectus were present in all lakes. Richness varied from 95 taxa (in Lake Gambazinho) to 168 taxa (in Lake Palmeirinha). Jaccard indices were low, and the highest similarities between lakes were 53% (Ferrugem/Ferruginha), 47% (Central/Almecega) and 46% (Aguas Claras/Palmeirinha), demonstrating high environmental and biotic dissimilarities between lakes. Geographic distance was not significantly associated with floristic similarity, suggesting that local factors are more important than are regional ones in shaping the phytoplankton composition of lakes.
Highlights
Species richness is considered one of the simplest measures to express and quantify biological complexity in a given region (Nabout et al 2007)
The present study aims to contribute to the knowledge of phytoplankton diversity of this lake complex by presenting the results of an inventory of the algal flora in 18 lakes
Beta diversity was estimated by the difference between gamma diversity and average alpha diversity, as suggested by Crist et al (2003): β = γ − mean α
Summary
Species richness is considered one of the simplest measures to express and quantify biological complexity in a given region (Nabout et al 2007). Gamma, diversity is the total number of species observed in a range of habitats (Magurran 2004).
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