Eunotia Ehrenberg (Bacillariophyta - diatoms) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Furey P. 2016. Eunotia Ehrenberg (Bacillariophyta - diatoms) of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Eunotia is an acid-tolerant genus of diatoms with >230 species world wide, >16% of which are found in the park. The high elevation springs and streams in the park were dominated by diatoms of the genus Eunotia. The presence of valve malformations in four of the high elevation springs and two streams suggest that acid precipitation in the park may be interacting with local bedrock geology to release metals toxic to algal communities, especially under the low pH conditions of these high elevation areas. Sites with the greatest number of deformities showed higher levels of Al, Ba, and Mn relative to other sites. However, more data are necessary before any clear linkages between diatom deformities, metals, geology, and acid precipitation call be unequivocally established.
- Type
- Generic Dataset
- Authors
- Furey, Paula
- Date of Issue
- 2016-10-11
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, diatom, eunotia, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, high elevation, low pH, Origin:External, SER, Southeast Region, springs, StudyID:GRSM-00304, valve malformations
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Algae