Epiphytic Diatoms of the Reed Plants in Lake Gocheonam

doi:2004.19.4.311

Algae > Volume 19(4); 2004 > Article

Algae 2004;19(4): 311-320. doi: https://doi.org/10.4490/ALGAE.2004.19.4.311

Kyung-Je Cho

ABSTRACT

A great portion of the marginal zone in Lake Gocheonam was covered with reed plants. Algae attached to the reed stems were exclusively composed of diatoms. Sixty-six species of diatoms were encountered in a floral survey. The important species were Nitzschia liebetruthii Rabh., Nitzschia acicularis (Ku¨tz.) W. Sm., Navicula gregaria Donk., Cocconeis placentula var. lineata (Ehr.) V.H. etc. Among the diatom flora, six species - Navicula nivalis Ehr., Navicula recens Lange-B., Nitzschia angustatula Lange-B., Nitzschia compressa (Bail.) Boyer, Nitzschia lanceola var. minutula Grin. and Surirella crumena Bre´b. - were recorded in Korea for the first times. Life forms of the reed-attached diatoms were simply prostrate. The biomass of epiphytic algae ranged from 0.05㎍ chl- cm to 2.32g chl- cm. The algal biomass of dead stems was higher than that of the living stems, and their flora were rich. The algal biomass reached a maximum in the spring after the death of the reed plants. The reed plants exhibited rich diatom flora and significantly high algal biomass on their stems to have taxonomical and ecological importance in the freshwater.

Key words: biofilms; epiphytic diatoms; estuary lake; reed plant