Important Taxa Research Articles

Mites (Acari, Oribatida, Nanhermannidae) from the Eocene of Patagonia: First Southern Hemisphere Fossil Record in Marine Sediments

We present here the first record of a pre-Pleistocene fossil mite from the Southern Hemisphere in marine sediments. The specimen is a leg, morphologically assignable to the family Nanhermannidae (Oribatida). The fossil specimen is preserved in a paleopalynological sample from the Rio Turbio Formation (Eocene), southwestern Santa Cruz province, Patagonia, Argentina. This finding and the associated claws in palynological samples add an important taxon to the group of non-pollinical palynomorphs with good potential as paleoenvironmental indicators.

Thirty-nine newly documented plant species of Great Nicobar, India

A constituent of the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot, Great Nicobar in the Nicobar group of islands, India, is known for rich floristic diversity. As this geographically distinct and southernmost island of India has not been surveyed for plant genetic resources, three survey-cum-exploration trips were undertaken during 2017–2019 to make an inventory of the taxa of importance for food and agriculture, besides their collection for ex situ conservation. These surveys revealed the new distribution of 39 taxa (belonging to 37 genera, 24 families) in this island, including 14 new to the Nicobar group of islands and one to Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Among the 39 taxa, 16 have the importance of being wild relatives of 15 crop species. Fourteen species are classified as naturalized ones (including four globally recognized invasive species); some of them pose potential threat to the ecosystem of this fragile island. Detailed field studies in this remote island will help in better understanding of phytogeography in general and impact of alien species on native plant diversity in particular.

The ecology of the whale shark in Djibouti

Within the Gulf of Aden, Djibouti is an important site where whale sharks (Rhincodon typus Smith 1828) aggregate seasonally; however, up to now, only few studies have been carried out in the area (Rowat et al. in Environ Biol Fishes, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9148-7; Mar Freshw Res, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF10135; Rezzolla and Storai in Cybium 34:195–206, 2010). From 2015 to 2018, whale shark photo-id, skin biopsies, and zooplankton samples were collected to investigate the ecology of this species in Djibouti. Of the 190 photo-identified individuals, the majority were juvenile males, confirming a significant male-based aggregation (X2 = 65, df = 1, p < 0.0001). Within each season, the maximum number of times an individual was re-sighted was 11, while the inter-annual re-sighting rates varied between 11 and 32%. Animals were feeding on surface zooplankton, consisting primarily of copepods (85%); however, Chaetognatha and Ctenophora appeared to be important taxa as well, since the areas most visited were also those with higher concentration of these organisms. Feeding zooplankton patches had a mean biomass of 42.2 ± 31.9 mg m−3, almost 1.5 higher than control stations, indicating that the abundance of this species was positively related to food availability. Furthermore, whale sharks exhibited a clear temporal distribution associated with the variation in zooplankton biomass due to the monsoon winds. Sharks aggregated in October–February, with a peak in sightings in November, and dispersed outside the upwelling season. δ13C values suggested that whale sharks might migrate to other habitats or shift their activities to deeper areas outside the aggregation phase. Little intra-specific variation in δ15N and δ13C was found between animals, suggesting a similar habitat use.

Pollen record of megathermal and mesothermal elements in the late Pliocene from west Portugal revealed by combined light and scanning electron microscopy studies

The Rio Maior deposits, part of the Tagus Basin located in western Portugal, are comprised of sediments from late Pliocene to earliest Gelasian age. Using combined light and scanning electron microscopy, we report, for the first time, nine important taxa in late Pliocene, Piacenzian sediments from south-western Europe. Eight pollen-taxa (Cercidiphyllum, Craigia, Mortoniodendron, Diplopanax, Zanthoxylum, Sapotaceae, Sideroxylon and Leitneria) belong to extant plant groups currently living in tropical to temperate areas. The record of Trigonobalanopsis represents an extinct genus in the oak family (Fagaceae). The records of these taxa indicate the presence of a warm-temperate mixed forest during most parts of the Piacenzian at this latitude.

Chloroplast DNA marker as a tool to study the molecular phylogeny of Indian Barleria L. (Acanthaceae)

Barleria is one of the largest and diversified genus of family Acanthaceae comprising more than 300 species. An enormous repertoire of phytochemicals found within this genus makes it medicinally important taxon. Barleria is classified into two sub-genera i.e., Barleria and Prionitis. However, due to high morphological variability observed within this genus,the sub-generic classification and phylogenetic relationship among different Barleria species remain ambiguous and unclear. Thus, molecular approach was attempted to resolve these discrepancies associated with morphology based classification. In India, Barleria is represented by more than 31 taxa. A high degree of regional endemism has also been observed among different species of this genus. Recent changes in the infra generic classification of Barleria genus also necessitate a thorough study of the group in India as well. Thus, in the present work the systematic position of Indian Barleria was examined with chloroplast (cp) locus i.e., rbcL along with a detailed analysis on the effect of changed circumscription on Indian taxa. Though infra generic classification involving rbcL locus could not be resolved pertaining to a small sample size, we observed genus Barleria as a monophyletic group even after adding Indian taxa.

Pleistocene herbivores and carnivores from France: An updated overview of the literature, sites and taxonomy

This contribution presents a general account and summary of the research carried out over the past decades on the Quaternary faunas of France. This country is located in the center of Western Europe, and presents distinct topographical features and very varied climatic influences. This paper is the result of collaborative work between French teams and different researchers specialized in the paleontology of large mammals. Over a hundred paleontological or archaeological sites are mentioned in this review, which covers a broad chronological period, ranging from the Early (including the end of Pliocene/Gelasien) and Middle Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene. One of the aims of this work is to present studies of the main families or subfamilies of herbivores (Equidae, Rhinocerotidae, Bovidae [Bovines, Caprines, Antilopines, and Rupicaprines], Cervidae, Proboscid) and carnivores (Canidae, Ursidae, Mustelidae, Hyenidae, Felidae). It is not exhaustive at the generic and specific level, but details on the taxonomic status, evolutionary levels and biochronological importance of the most important taxa are given alongside an extensive and up-to-date bibliography of French works.

The Generalized Matrix Decomposition Biplot and Its Application to Microbiome Data.

Exploratory analysis of human microbiome data is often based on dimension-reduced graphical displays derived from similarities based on non-Euclidean distances, such as UniFrac or Bray-Curtis. However, a display of this type, often referred to as the principal-coordinate analysis (PCoA) plot, does not reveal which taxa are related to the observed clustering because the configuration of samples is not based on a coordinate system in which both the samples and variables can be represented. The reason is that the PCoA plot is based on the eigen-decomposition of a similarity matrix and not the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the sample-by-abundance matrix. We propose a novel biplot that is based on an extension of the SVD, called the generalized matrix decomposition biplot (GMD-biplot), which involves an arbitrary matrix of similarities and the original matrix of variable measures, such as taxon abundances. As in a traditional biplot, points represent the samples, and arrows represent the variables. The proposed GMD-biplot is illustrated by analyzing multiple real and simulated data sets which demonstrate that the GMD-biplot provides improved clustering capability and a more meaningful relationship between the arrows and points.IMPORTANCE Biplots that simultaneously display the sample clustering and the important taxa have gained popularity in the exploratory analysis of human microbiome data. Traditional biplots, assuming Euclidean distances between samples, are not appropriate for microbiome data, when non-Euclidean distances are used to characterize dissimilarities among microbial communities. Thus, incorporating information from non-Euclidean distances into a biplot becomes useful for graphical displays of microbiome data. The proposed GMD-biplot accounts for any arbitrary non-Euclidean distances and provides a robust and computationally efficient approach for graphical visualization of microbiome data. In addition, the proposed GMD-biplot displays both the samples and taxa with respect to the same coordinate system, which further allows the configuration of future samples.

The late blooming amphipods: Global change promoted post-Jurassic ecological radiation despite Palaeozoic origin

The ecological radiation of amphipods is striking among crustaceans. Despite high diversity, global distribution and key roles in all aquatic environments, little is known about their ecological transitions, evolutionary timescale and phylogenetic relationships. It has previously been proposed that the amphipod ecological diversification began in the Late Palaeozoic. By contrast, due to their affinity for cold/oxygenated water and absence of pre-Cenozoic fossils, we hypothesized that the ecological divergence of amphipods arose throughout the cool Late Mesozoic/Cenozoic. We tested our hypothesis by inferring a large-scale, time-calibrated, multilocus phylogeny, and reconstructed evolutionary patterns for major ecological traits. Although our results reveal a Late Palaeozoic amphipod origin, diversification and ecological divergence ensued only in the Late Mesozoic, overcoming a protracted stasis in marine littoral habitats. Multiple independent post-Jurassic radiations took place in deep-sea, freshwater, terrestrial, pelagic and symbiotic environments, usually postdating deep-sea faunal extinctions, and corresponding with significant climatic cooling, tectonic reconfiguration, continental flooding, and increased oceanic oxygenation. We conclude that the profound Late Mesozoic global changes triggered a tipping point in amphipod evolution by unlocking ecological opportunities that promoted radiation into many new niches. Our study also provides a solid, time-calibrated, evolutionary framework to accelerate research on this overlooked, yet globally important taxon.

Projecting Mammal Distributions in Response to Future Alternative Landscapes in a Rapidly Transitioning Region

Finding balance between the needs of people and wildlife is an essential component of planning sustainable landscapes. Because mammals make up a diverse and ecologically important taxon with varying responses to human disturbance, we used representative mammal species to examine how alternative land-use policies might affect their habitats and distributions in the near future. We used wildlife detections from camera traps at 1591 locations along a large-scale urban to wild gradient in northern Virginia, to create occupancy models which determined land cover relationships and the drivers of contemporary mammal distributions. From the 15 species detected, we classified five representative species into two groups based on their responses to human development; sensitive species (American black bears and bobcats) and synanthropic species (red foxes, domestic cats, and white-tailed deer). We then used the habitat models for the representative species to predict their distributions under four future planning scenarios based on strategic versus reactive planning and high or low human population growth. The distributions of sensitive species did not shrink drastically under any scenario, whereas the distributions of synanthropic species increased in response to anthropogenic development, but the magnitude of the response varied based on the projected rate of human population growth. This is likely because most sensitive species are dependent on large, protected public lands in the region, and the majority of projected habitat losses should occur in non-protected private lands. These findings illustrate the importance of public protected lands in mitigating range loss due to land use changes, and the potential positive impact of strategic planning in further mitigating mammalian diversity loss in private lands.

Species energy and Thermal Performance Theory predict 20-yr changes in ant community abundance and richness.

In an era of rapid climate change, and with it concern over insect declines, we used two theories to predict 20-yr changes in 34 North American ant communities. The ecosystems, from deserts to hardwood forests, were first surveyed in the 1990s. When resurveyed in 2016-2017, they averaged 1°C warmer with 200 g C·m-2 ·yr-1 higher plant productivity. Ant colony abundance changed from -49% to +61%. Consistent with Thermal Performance Theory, colony abundance increased with temperature increases<1°C, then decreased as a site's mean monthly temperature change increased up to +2.4°C. Consistent with Species Energy Theory, (1) ant abundance tracked changes in a measure of energy availability (net aboveground productivity, g C·m-2 ·yr-1 ) and (2) increases in colony abundance drove increases in local plot- and transect-level species richness but not that of Chao 2, an estimate of the size of the species pool. Even after accounting for these drivers, local species richness was still higher ~20yr after the original surveys, likely due to the increased activity of ant workers. These results suggest community changes are predictable using theory from geographical ecology, and that warming can first enhance but may ultimately decrease the abundance of this important insect taxon.

Sharks in the lagoon? Fishing exploitation at the Neolithic site of Suwayh 1 (Ash Sharqiyah region, Arabian Sea, Sultanate of Oman)

AbstractThe study of the fish bones from the Neolithic shell midden of Suwayh 1, excavated in the 2000s, identified a total of 1060 identifiable fish bones, from 23 families, 33 genera and 28 different species. Radiocarbon dating demonstrates that the sites date to the early 6th to mid 5th millennium BC. The results follow an eight‐phase chronology highlighted by an earlier malacological study. The most important taxa were the Carcharhinidae (requiem shark), Rhinopteridae (cownose rays), Sparoidea (Sparidae and Lethrinidae: sea breams and emperors) and Ariidae (sea catfishes). The results of the fish study show that the Suwayh lagoon must have gradually opened up to the sea and been populated with mangroves. The unique presence of so many sharks at this site seems to indicate that the inhabitants had a special interest in shark fishing and that their location was ideal for this specialised activity. Two types of fishing nets and hooks have been discovered, which require the use of different fishing techniques.

Acute and chronic toxicity of magnesium to the early life stages of two tropical freshwater mussel species

Magnesium (Mg) is a common contaminant in mine water discharges. Although Mg is an essential element in biological processes, increased concentrations from anthropogenic sources can stress aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, studies evaluating the effects of Mg on north Australian freshwater species have indicated that in very soft waters there is a high risk to some species. Freshwater mussels are an ecologically and culturally important taxon in many freshwater environments, but knowledge of their sensitivity to Mg is limited. In the present study, the acute and chronic sensitivity of two freshwater mussel species, Velesunio angasi and an undescribed Velesunio species, to Mg was assessed (using MgSO4) on their early life stages, larval glochidia and post-parasitic juveniles. Acute 24-h exposures with glochidia generated a mean median lethal (LC50) toxicity estimate of 284mg/L for the five tests with V. angasi, and a mean LC50 of 300mg/L for the three tests with Velesunio sp. Mean chronic 14-d toxicity estimates resulting in 50% (EC50) and 10% (EC10) growth rate reductions for juveniles were 241 and 88mg/L respectively for the three tests with V. angasi juveniles, and 232 and 87mg/L respectively for the three tests with Velesunio sp. juveniles.The results represent the first acute and chronic Mg toxicity data for tropical freshwater mussels, and indicated that V. angasi and Velesunio sp. exhibited similar sensitivity and were moderately sensitive to Mg when compared to other tropical species. These results are a valuable contribution to the small existing dataset for Mg toxicity to tropical freshwater species, which can be used to inform water management in areas where Mg is a contaminant of concern, and ensure the protection of these taxa.

OCORRÊNCIA DE Cephalotes atratus (HYMNOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) EM CARCAÇA DE Leptodactylus vastus NO NORDESTE DO BRASIL

Poucos estudos evidenciam a fauna de insetos colonizadora de cadáveres de animais silvestres, todavia, as formigas são consideradas um importante táxon na colonização cadavérica. Apresentamos o primeiro registro de indivíduos de Cephalotes atratus se alimentando de um cadáver recém morto de Leptodactylus vastus, anfíbio anuro endêmico da América do Sul.

Effects of grape pomace and seed polyphenol extracts on the recovery of gut microbiota after antibiotic treatment in high-fat diet-fed mice.

The widespread use of antibiotics all over the world increases the risk of many metabolic diseases by altering the gut microbiota. Grape by‐products are of particular interest in the prevention of metabolic diseases, while only minimum amounts of these wastes are up‐graded or recycled at present. The study investigated the effect of grape pomace (GPE) and seed (GSE) polyphenol extracts on the recovery of gut microbiota after antibiotic cocktail treatment in high‐fat diet‐fed (HFD) mice. C57BL/6J mice were fed HFD together with antibiotic treatment by drinking water for 3 weeks. Then, GPE and GSE were supplemented for 7 days after withdrawal of antibiotics. The gut microbiota was characterized by a significant loss of diversity and certain important taxon after a 3‐week antibiotic cocktail treatment. The GPE and GSE supplementation during the restore period of gut microbiota had some positive effects. The relative abundance of gut microbiota was improved by GPE and GSE compared to the spontaneous recovery group. And gut microbiota diversity was also greatly changed by GPE and GSE, being indicated by the changes of Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia in feces. These findings suggested that grape polyphenol extracts have a great influence on the recovery of gut microbiota after antibiotics and high‐fat diet treatment.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Microcycas calocoma (Zamiaceae), an Endangered monotypic cycad species from Cuba

Microcycas calocoma is the monotypic species from the critical endangered and endemic cycad genus Microcycas in Cuba, an important taxon to study the evolution of extant gymnosperms. Here we report the complete chloroplast sequences of M. calocoma and characterize the genome structure of this species. The genome size of M. calocoma is 165,667 bp in length which contains 135 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes and 39 transfer RNA genes. The GC content of this genome is 39.6%.Phylogenomic study shows M. calocoma is mostly closely related to the cycad genus Zamia, which corresponds to previous studies based on multiple nuclear genes and combined plastid and nuclear evidence. The plastome information of M. calocoma offered by this study can contribute to further comparative chloroplast genome in cycads/gymnosperms as well as conservation genetic studies of M. calocoma.

Size fractionation, chemotaxonomic groups and bio-optical properties of phytoplankton along a transect from the Mediterranean Sea to the SW Atlantic Ocean

The relationships between the structure of the phytoplankton community and the bio-optical properties of surface waters were studied during the TransPEGASO cruise along a transect across the Atlantic Ocean that covered seven biogeographical provinces, from the Alborán Sea (SW Mediterranean) to the Patagonian Shelf. We characterized the composition of the phytoplankton community by means of high-performance liquid chromatography and CHEMTAX pigment analyses applied to whole water and two filtration size classes (&lt; 3 and ≥ 3 μm), flow cytometric determinations and microscopic observations. Additionally, the study was complemented by measurements of the absorption of particulate matter and coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM). The size class distribution of the chlorophyll a (Chl a) obtained from the size-fractionated filtration (SFF) was compared with that resulting from the diagnostic pigment algorithms (VU) developed by Vidussi et al. (2001) and Uitz et al. (2006), and the total Chl a–based expressions (HI) of Hirata et al. (2011). The seven provinces crossed by the transect could be divided into an oligotrophic group with Chl a &lt; 0.25 mg m-3 comprising the tropical and subtropical Atlantic (including the Canary Current Coastal Province), and a eutrophic group (Chl a &gt; 0.5 mg m-3) with a single Mediterranean (MEDI) sample and those from the southwestern Atlantic Shelf (SWAS). According to CHEMTAX, the most important taxa in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic were Prochlorococcus, haptophytes and Synechoccoccus, while the MEDI and SWAS were dominated by diatoms and haptophytes. Both the VU and HI algorithms, which are based on pigment composition or Chl a concentration, predicted for SWAS a high proportion of nano- and microphytoplankton, while the SFF indicated dominance of the &lt; 3 μm size class. In addition, the CHEMTAX results indicated a high average diatom contribution in this province. However, at several SWAS stations with relatively high values of diatom Chl a estimated by CHEMTAX, the microscopic observations found only small concentrations of nano- or microplankton-sized cells. This discrepancy appeared to be due to the presence, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, of picoplankton-sized cells of the diatom Minidiscus sp. and of Parmales (a group sharing the pigment composition with the diatoms). These findings caution against a routine assignment of diatom pigments to the microplankton size class. The total non-water absorption in the water column was dominated by CDOM. The average contribution of phytoplankton absorption for the different provinces ranged from 19.3% in the MEDI to 45.7% in the SWAS and 47% in the western tropical Atlantic (WTRA). The Chl a–specific phytoplankton absorption [aph*(443), m2 mg-1] was lower in the MEDI and SWAS than in the oligotrophic provinces. aph*(443) was negatively correlated with the first principal component derived from a principal component analysis based on the concentration of the main pigments and was not correlated with indicators of phytoplankton community size structure such as the proportion of Chl a in the &lt; 3 μm class or a size index derived from the VU size class distribution. These findings indicate that the variability observed in aph*(443) was mainly related to differences in pigment composition and possibly to photoacclimation processes, and that any package effects due to cell size were probably masked by other factors, an outcome that may be related to the relatively small influence of size within the narrow range of Chl a concentrations (all ≤ 2.4 mg m-3) considered in our study.

Chironomid communities from subalpine peatlands in subtropical China as indicators of environmental change

The composition of Chironomidae communities and the ecological significance of such assemblages in peatlands have received little attention, especially in subtropical alpine regions. We report on the spatial distribution of subfossil chironomids and environmental controls on the insects in three subalpine peatlands from subtropical, central China. We found 44 genera and 62 morphotypes in 41 surficial peat samples. The taxa are different from those found in shallow freshwater lakes in the same region, as terrestrial/semi-terrestrial taxa are common in the peatland chironomid communities. Dissimilarities were observed among the three investigated peatlands, and spatially heterogeneous microhabitats also showed notable differences in particular species abundances, even within the same peatland. Important taxa that are associated with specific peatlands, and/or illustrate within-peatland community differences, include Tanytarsus pallidicornis-type 2, which is related to lower conductivity, and Neozavrelia, which is associated with greater redox potential and pH. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed significant relationships between chironomid community composition and three environmental factors (conductivity, redox potential and pH). Anthropogenic influences and autogenic processes in peatlands likely modify the biotic communities, either through direct or indirect changes in peatland hydrology and chemistry. Low chironomid concentrations and diversity in Erxianyan Peatland may reflect ecological degradation caused by intense human activities, including the harvest of Sphagnum. This study provides information about subtropical peatland biodiversity and illustrates the utility of subfossil chironomids as proxies for past hydro-chemical changes in peatlands.

Social immunity behaviour among ants infected by specialist and generalist fungi.

Social insects are distinguished by their lifestyle of living in groups with division of labour, cooperative brood care, and reproduction limited to a few colony members. Social insects often build large colonies with remarkable densities of highly related individuals and this can lead to an increased pathogen pressure. Our review focuses on interactions of ants with two important taxonomic groups of fungi infecting ants: Hypocreales (Ascomycota) and Entomophthorales (Entomophthoromycotina), and their different infection strategies, including host manipulation for optimal spore dispersal in the specialised ant pathogens. In social insects such as ants, resistance to pathogens is present at the colony level, with social immunity in addition to the individual resistance. We describe how ants use both organizational and behavioural defence strategies to combat fungal pathogens, with emphasis on highly specialised fungi from the genera Ophiocordyceps and Pandora.

Land‐use in Europe affects land snail assemblages directly and indirectly by modulating abiotic and biotic drivers

AbstractType and intensity of land‐use vary in space and time and strongly contribute to changes in richness and composition of species communities. In this study, we examined land snail communities in forests and grasslands in three regions of Germany. We aimed to quantify the extent to which snail density, diversity, and community composition in forests and grasslands are determined by (1) land‐use intensity, (2) abiotic drivers and (3) biotic substrates, and (4) whether these effects are consistent across regions. In total, we collected 15,607 snail individuals belonging to 71 species and analyzed both direct and indirect effects using structural equation modeling. Snail densities and their local diversity varied across regions and between forest and grassland habitats within a region albeit with contrasting trends. Community composition also differed among regions—more strongly in forests than in grasslands—and each habitat had unique species (18 in forests, 21 in grasslands). In general, the direct impact of land‐use on snail density, diversity, and community structure was on average nine (forests) and seven (grasslands) times lower than the impact of abiotic drivers and biotic substrates which both affected snail assemblages about equally. However, land‐use factors had indirect effects on snail responses through abiotic variables such as soil moisture and soil pH. Furthermore, land‐use factors also had indirect effects via changing biotic substrates, such as plant cover in grasslands and deadwood cover in forests. Our results show that land snails strongly respond to environmental gradients and add an important indicator taxon to the current evidence of land‐use impacts, highlighting the complexity of direct and indirect effects via biotic and abiotic drivers across regions in Central Europe.

Composition of biological soil crusts from sand dunes of the Baltic Sea coast in the context of an integrative approach to the taxonomy of microalgae and cyanobacteria

ABSTRACT Most of the data on biodiversity, ecology and biogeography of microalgae and cyanobacteria are based on classical morphological approaches. However, morphological identification of these microorganisms is often possible only to higher taxonomic ranks such as genus, because of low morphological diversity and high variability along with the presence of cryptic taxa. This study compared the species composition of cyanobacteria, and green and streptophyte microalgae, isolated from biological soil crusts (BSCs) of maritime sand dunes (Baltic Sea, Germany) and identified through culture-dependent morphological methods combined with molecular phylogenetic data. Phylogenetic analyses (based on SSU rRNA and ITS-1,2 for microalgae, or the SSU-LSU ITS region for cyanobacteria) provided unambiguous identifications of 20 strains (37.7% of all strains investigated) to species level; the identifications had to be corrected after preliminary morphological determination of eight strains. For 27 strains (50.9%), identification with molecular markers was possible only to genus or group of closely related species, because a modern taxonomic revision of these taxa is preliminary, incomplete or non-existent. Identification to genus was problematic for six strains (11.3%). This combination of morphological and molecular methods (integrative approach) resulted in the discovery of rare, taxonomically or ecologically interesting taxa, and in the description of a new species of Tetradesmus (T. arenicola sp. nov.), a new combination for Chlamydomonas callunae (Heterochlamydomonas callunae comb. nov.), epitypification of the rare alga Actinochloris sphaerica and emendation of the recently described Eremochloris sphaerica. A microscopic culture-dependent method and an integrative approach provided similar results concerning the cyanobacterial and algal diversity of BSCs of Baltic sand dunes in general. However, this investigation using an integrative approach allowed us to precisely identify species of several important taxa (the most common and dominant species) in the community structure of BSCs, and also certain rare representatives.