Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Author Spotlight: Diatom Testing for Forensic Drowning Examination
Published on: November 10, 2023
Identifying environmental drivers of benthic diatom diversity: the case of Mediterranean mountain ponds
Saúl Blanco1, Adriana Olenici2, Fernando Ortega3
1Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, Leon, Spain.
Abstract:
This study aims at elucidating the environmental factors controlling benthic diatom diversity and uniqueness in Mediterranean mountain ponds. Samples of periphytic diatoms were collected in 45 ponds in Andalusia, south of Spain, and analysed by standard methods. Data analysis reveals that diatom diversity is mainly controlled by elevation and hydroperiod. Contrary to the usual findings in the literature, the highest scores on Shannon's diversity index were found in high-elevation temporary ponds, but this effect is hidden by lake clustering in the analysed dataset. Significant distance-decay similarity (DDS) trends were detected in the analysis of floristic composition among the samples, stressing the importance of spatial factors that may override the effect of other abiotic factors. These findings highlight the role of isolation and dispersal limitation in the configuration of the biogeographical patterns of benthic diatoms.
More Related Videos
14:38Establishment of Microbial Eukaryotic Enrichment Cultures from a Chemically Stratified Antarctic Lake and Assessment of Carbon Fixation Potential
Published on: April 20, 2012
08:56Automatic Image Processing to Determine the Community Size Structure of Riverine Macroinvertebrates
Published on: January 13, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Diversity of Protists III
What is an Ecosystem?
Diversity of Protists I
Other Algae
What is Biodiversity?
Primary Production