Research
| Title： | Eco-morphological traits inform responses of diatom assemblages to urbanization in rivers in China |
|---|---|
| First author： | Wu, Xuan; Liu, Xinyi; Liu, Chan; Tan, Lu; Chen, Yushun; Tang, Tao |
| Journal： | HYDROBIOLOGIA |
| Years： | 2025 |
| DOI： | 10.1007/s10750-024-05528-z |
| Abstract： | Biological traits are increasingly used in bioassessments, but it remains unclear whether they exhibit more consistent and stronger responses to environmental stressors compared with species metrics. We surveyed benthic diatom assemblages in rivers in Shenzhen city of China, and compared responses between diatom indicator species and eco-morphological traits to urbanization disturbance. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) diatom traits show seasonally consistent and strong responses to urbanization, and (2) diatom traits influence species' responses to urbanization. Approximately 40% of the prevalent species were found to be responsive to urbanization, with only one-third demonstrating consistent responses. In contrast, nearly 85% of diatom traits studied were responsive to urbanization, and all responses were seasonally consistent. Urbanization primarily led to increased concentrations of total nitrogen and conductivity in stream water, serving as crucial environmental filters for benthic diatoms. Turbidity and CODMn also exhibited season-specific additional influences. Nitrogen heterotrophy, motile guild, and high-profile guild were the main responsive traits, each accounting for 10-20% of the variance in species' responses to in-stream chemical stressors. Overall, urbanization had more pronounced impacts on diatom assemblages in the wet season than in the dry season. We suggest measuring more diatom traits for better bioassessments. |
