A diatom species new to Poland was recorded during the study of benthic diatoms from the Czarna Staszowska River (south-eastern Poland)
Although forms similar to
The genus
The genus
The aim of this study was taxonomical, morphological and ecological analysis of
The Czarna Staszowska River is a left tributary of the Vistula River and it flows in south-eastern Poland through the physiographical region referred to as Połaniec Basin, which is part of the Nida Basin (Fig. 1). Its length is 61 km, catchment area 1358.6 km2, mean discharge 5 m3 s−1 and mean slope 0.2% (Zieliński 2013). Its sources are in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains at 302-408 m a.s.l. Its headwater streamlets join together in the vicinity of the Smyków Village at 250 m a.s.l., and then the Czarna Staszowska River flows through the villages of Drogowle, Raków, Kurozwęki, Staszów, Rudniki, and finally enters the Vistula River (at 154 m a.s.l.) at the Połaniec Town.
The river bottom is gravelly and stony, occasionally sandy, and muddy at the river mouth. The substrate of the headwater section is composed of the Paleozoic rocks of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (the highest peak at 612 m a.s.l.) and the Mesozoic (mostly carbonate) rocks. Karst phenomena are common in the valley of the river, which resulted in the development of numerous lakes and peat bogs. The geologic structure of the river valley is characterized by the occurrence of carbonate and sulfate rocks. This specific structure of the area has affected the development of diatom communities in the river, which are typical of calcium-rich waters.
The natural course of the river changes after 34 km due to the presence of the Chańcza Dam Reservoir (400 ha). Between its sources in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains and the Chańcza Reservoir, the water in the river complies with the standards of Water Quality Classes I-II as regards physicochemical parameters (unpublished data from 2014 made available by Voivodeship Inspectorate of Environmental Protection in Kielce; water quality classes according to Polish standards compatible with OJ pos. 1482 from 2014; Table 1).
Values of physical and chemical water parameters in the spring section of the Czarna Staszowska River from 2014 and the water quality class according to Polish standards compatible with OJ pos. 1482 from 2014
Water parameters
Spring
Water Quality
Temperature (°C)
10.5
I
pH
7.6-7.9
I
Conductivity 20°C (µS cm 1)
405
I
Dissolved oxygen (DO) (mg O2 dm−3)
10.0
I
BOD5 (mg O2 dm−3)
1.9
I
N-NH4 (mg dm−3)
0.23
I
N-NO3 (mg dm−3)
2.0
I
Total N (mg dm−3)
2.783
I
P-PO4 (mg dm−3)
0.1
I
Total P (mg P dm−3)
0.13
I
Calcium (mg Ca dm−3)
64
I
Magnesium (mg Mg dm−3)
10
I
Total hardness (mg CaCO3 dm−3)
202
I
Samples were collected in August 2013 and August 2014 in the upper section of the Czarna Staszowska River (sandy and muddy substrates). Twelve samples were collected from the Czarna Staszowska River, four of which were included in morphological analysis of
The morphological analysis of the taxon
Taxonomic identification of species accompanying
The microbenthos samples and permanent slides are deposited at the Laboratory of Algology and Mycology of the University of Łódź, Poland (numbers of samples: 00423; 00424; 00425; 00426).
Live individuals of
Witkowski, Lange-Bertalot & Metzeltin (2000)
Cells solitary, valves linear-lanceolate, with shortly protracted and broadly rounded ends. Length 30-44 µm, 8-11 µm, 13-16 striae in 10 µm in the middle (based on 32 valves) (Fig. 2).
Distinct structures of the valve and the number of areolae amounting to 45 in 10 µm were observed. Raphe branches straight with slightly widened and unilaterally deflected central pores. Distal raphe fissures prolonged, extending over the valve mantle and unilaterally curved in the opposite direction to the proximal ends (Fig. 2).
So far
The upper course of the Czarna Staszowska River (where
Our research confirmed that
So far,
Morphological forms similar to
Comparison of morphological features of species similar to
Length
Width
Number of striae in 10 μm
Number of areolae in 10 μm
Plate/Figure
Hustedt (1930)
25-50
10-16
-
-
-
Cleve-Euler (1953)
25-50
10-16
19
-
Fig. 884
Germain (1981)
30-35
8-10
14-17
-
Plate 83, Fig. 6
Krammer & Lange Bertalot (1986)
35-100
8-23
14-18
-
Fig. 54: 1
Simonsen (1987)
-
-
-
-
Plate 659, Fig. 1, 2
Levkov et al. (2007)
32-44
9-11
14-16
-
Plate 64, Fig. 12
Levkov & Williams (2011)
22-44
9-11
14-17
45
Fig. 69-82
A species that is most morphologically similar to
Accompanying species of
Subdominants were represented by such species as:
The following species were recorded with a lower abundance: