Seasonal and interannual variations in diatom assemblages in Murray River connected wetlands in north-west Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Epipelic diatom assemblages collected from three wetlands connected to the Murray River displayed considerable variation in response to flooding and drying phases. Murray River water input usually generated diatom assemblages dominated by Aulacoseira species. After isolation, the diatom flora of two wetlands shifted to assemblages of small Fragilariaceae forms. Elevated nutrient levels corresponded with the appearance of eutraphentic taxa such as Cyclotella meneghiniana, Eolimna subminuscula, Luticola mutica and Nitzschia palea. Further evapoconcentration induced shifts to taxa tolerant of elevated salinity levels including Amphora coffeaeformis, Navicula incertata, Staurophora salina and Tryblionella hungarica. Ordination analyses reveal a strong chemical control on the diatom taxa present in the wetlands, in accordance with known ecological preferences for salinity and nutrients. The influence of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in controlling diatom assemblages was subordinate to salinity once conductivity values exceeded 1400 μS cm–1. The results of such biomonitoring provide a means of interpreting wetland history from fossil assemblages contained in sediment sequences.