2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/23/2019 | 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM | ICY SEEPS: A POTENTIAL STRONGHOLD FOR ALGAL STENOTHERM BIODIVERSITY | 250 AB
ICY SEEPS: A POTENTIAL STRONGHOLD FOR ALGAL STENOTHERM BIODIVERSITY
A warming climate and melting glaciers are likely to have impacts on alpine streams with potential loss of cold stenotherm biodiversity and ecosystem function. Streams that originate from subterranean ice termed “icy seeps” with constant, cold flows, may provide refugia for taxa as temperatures rise. Compared to glacier-fed streams, icy seeps also have higher conductivity and lower turbidity. This research is focused on understanding the role of hydrological sources in shaping algal assemblages in alpine headwaters, focusing on icy seeps as cold water refugia. Epilithic samples were collected from streams in the Teton Range, Wyoming with source water from glaciers, snowmelt, or icy seeps. Algal communities in snowmelt streams had taxa typical of high-elevation ecosystems (diatoms Hannaea arcus, Odontidium mesodon) while glacial streams had algal communities with lower diversity. Communities from icy seeps had higher diversity, dominated by upright diatoms (Gomphonema spp., Synedra spp.) and cyanobacterium Oscillatoria. Both glacier-fed streams and icy seeps had nitrogen-fixing taxa (diatom Epithemia sorex), indicating potential nitrogen limitation, compared to snowmelt streams. Because of their subterranean source and functional algal assemblages, icy seeps show potential as coldwater refugia as glaciers disappear.
- Conservation
- Biodiversity
- Temperature
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Presenters/Authors
Rebecca Bixby
(), University of New Mexico, bbixby@unm.edu;
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Monika Hobbs
(), University of New Mexico, mohobbs@unm.edu;
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Debra Finn
(), Missouri State University, dfinn@missouristate.edu;
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Lusha Tronstad
(), University of Wyoming, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, tronstad@uwyo.edu;
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