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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 57(4)

Spatial and temporal variation in algal-assemblage structure in isolated dryland river waterholes, Cooper Creek and Warrego River, Australia

Glenn B. McGregor A C D , Jonathan C. Marshall A and Martin C. Thoms B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Natural Resource Sciences, Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water, 120 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, Qld 4068, Australia.

B CRC for Freshwater Ecology (CRCFE), University of Canberra, ACT 2016, Australia.

C School of Integrative Biology, The University of Queensland, Qld 4072, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: glenn.mcgregor@nrm.qld.gov.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 57(4) 453-466 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF05128
Submitted: 29 June 2005  Accepted: 21 March 2006   Published: 14 June 2006

Abstract

The scale at which algal biodiversity is partitioned across the landscape, and the biophysical processes and biotic interactions which shape these communities in dryland river refugia was studied on two occasions from 30 sites in two Australian dryland rivers. Despite the waterholes studied having characteristically high levels of abiogenic turbidity, a total of 186 planktonic microalgae, 253 benthic diatom and 62 macroalgal species were recorded. The phytoplankton communities were dominated by flagellated cryptophytes, euglenophytes and chlorophytes, the diatom communities by cosmopolitan taxa known to tolerate wide environmental conditions, and the macroalgal communities by filamentous cyanobacteria. All algal communities showed significant differences between catchments and sampling times, with a suite of between 5 and 12 taxa responsible for ~50% of the observed change. In general, algal assemblage patterns were poorly correlated with the measured environmental variables. Phytoplankton and diatom assemblage patterns were weakly correlated with several waterhole geomorphic measures, whereas macroalgal assemblage patterns showed some association with variability in ionic concentration.

Extra keywords: algae, cyanobacteria, dryland rivers, epipelic diatoms, epixylic diatoms, floodplain waterholes, Lake Eyre Basin, macroalgae, Murray–Darling Basin, phytoplankton, refugia.


Acknowledgments

This study formed part of the Dryland River Refugia Project funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology, Canberra. We thank researchers from the Centre for Riverine Landscapes at Griffith University, Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water, University of Canberra, and Murray–Darling Basin Freshwater Research Centre (Goondiwindi Laboratory) for field and laboratory assistance. Light penetration, diel dissolved oxygen and temperature data was kindly provided by Christy Fellows, Griffith University. Benthic diatom samples were analysed and identified by Peter Gell and his team at Diatoma, University of Adelaide.


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