Tuesday, June 5, 2007
533

Influence of Microhabitat on Algal Community Structure from Wetwall Habitats

Jennifer A. Ress and Rex L. Lowe. Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403

Moisture on exposed vertical rock faces forms a unique habitat for algal communities.  These wetwalls can provide habitats for algal species that are rare or absent in typical aquatic habitats.  Variable levels of moisture, light, pH, and differences in bedrock chemistry and elevation help shape the algal community.  However, these communities are still understudied, and the mechanisms that are important in shaping them are poorly understood.

We have focused on collecting and identifying the algal communities from wetwall habitats across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA, and southern Ontario, Canada.  Samples were collected from 42 wetwalls from different bedrock types across a range of moisture, light, and pH levels (3.9 to 9).  The community data were analyzed to examine the impact of microhabitat on community structure and composition.  Sites with high moisture levels were dominated by typically aquatic taxa, i.e. Mougeotia sp., while drier sites were dominated by wetwall specialist taxa, such as Diadesmis sp..


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