Publication:
Diatoms as bioindicators of environmental conditions in freshwater wetlands of Puerto Rico, with emphasis on the least impaired sites

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Authors
Alequin Otero, Jennifer
Embargoed Until
Advisor
Santos-Flores, Carlos J.
College
College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences
Department
Department of Biology
Degree Level
M.S.
Publisher
Date
2024-05-10
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to use diatom diversity and biotic indexes based on these algae as bioindicators to assess the environmental state of six wetlands in Puerto Rico that, according to a previous ARAM study, were classified as having least-impaired conditions. Four sampling stations were set in each wetland. We performed at least two sampling events per site. Diatom assemblages in these least-impacted wetlands were dominated by species of Navicula, Nitzschia, Pinnularia, Gomphonema, Tryblionella, Ulnaria, Amphora, and Diploneis. We compared our data with another set of wetlands surveyed in the same fashion but classified as impacted. A Pollution Tolerance Index (PTI) modelled in two versions and a Genus-Level Diatom Index (GDI) produced a distinction between both data sets and a water quality classification in accordance with the ARAM study for most (ten) of the wetlands.

El objetivo principal de este estudio fue evaluar la diversidad de diatomeas y los índices bióticos basados en estas algas como bioindicadores del estado ambiental de seis humedales en Puerto Rico, que según un estudio previo de ARAM fueron clasificados como con condiciones menos deterioradas. En cada humedal se establecieron cuatro estaciones de muestreo. Se realizaron al menos dos eventos de muestreo por sitio. Los ensamblajes de diatomeas en estos humedales menos afectados fueron dominados por especies de Navicula, Nitzschia, Pinnularia, Gomphonema, Tryblionella, Ulnaria, Amphora y Diploneis. Comparamos nuestros datos con otro conjunto de humedales estudiados de la misma manera, pero clasificados como impactados. Un índice de tolerancia a la contaminación (PTI), modelado en dos versiones, y un índice basado en géneros de diatomeas (GDI) produjeron una distinción entre ambos conjuntos de datos y una clasificación de la calidad del agua consonante con el estudio ARAM para la mayoría (diez) de los humedales.
Keywords
Diatoms,
Wetlands,
Marshes,
Swamps,
Puerto Rico
Usage Rights
Except where otherwise noted, this item’s license is described as Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Cite
Alequin Otero, J. (2024). Diatoms as bioindicators of environmental conditions in freshwater wetlands of Puerto Rico, with emphasis on the least impaired sites [Thesis]. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11801/3662