Ecological Study of Epiphytic Diatoms on Two Submerged Aquatic Macrophytes in Tigris River, Iraq

Abstract

This study was aimed to provide the baseline information of epiphytic diatom communities in the Tigris river within Wasit Province to fill the information gap on the algal distribution. This investigation was conducted on epiphytic diatoms from two macrophytes (Ceratophyllum demersum and Myriophyllum alterniflorum) and related physicochemical parameters of the river from June 2015 to May 2016. Three sites were selected along the river (Al-Aziziyah, Zubaidiyah, and Numaniyah). Qualitative and quantitative study of epiphytic diatoms was investigated. A total of 277 species of epiphytic diatoms were identified on both macrophytes, these diatoms belonged to 27 genera for C. demersum and 28 genra for M. alterniflorum. A total number of diatom species were ranged from 801.8× 104 cell.g-1 at site 3 to 1159.72 ×104 cell.g-1 at 1for C. demersum, while on M. alterniflorum were ranged (87.24 × 104 -545.68×104 cell.g-1) at site1. The study revealed that diatoms were abundant, reflecting the quality of water and determine the extent of pollution and polluted type.

Study of Algal Diatoms in some water resources in Shaglawa District. Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

“…According to; to the months under this study, the maximum and minimum numbers were identified in October-2021 and February-2022, respectively Tables 8, 9 and 10. Several; researchers indicated the abundance of diatoms in Iraqi surface waters could change the conditions of their environment [19,20] , or may be due to their ability in changing environments coupled with their tough silica wall that enabled them to survive extreme conditions [21] , like studying [22] . Some types of diatoms were dominant in terms of their number and presence in all sites Diatoma hiemale, D. moniliformis, Fragilaria construnes, F. crotonesis, Ulnaria ulna, Cocconeis pediculus, Navicula radiosa, Gyrosigma acuminatum, Nitzschia dubia, Cymbella excisa, Gomphonema olivaceum, Surirella ovalis, this dominance is a return to the broad tolerance of these species to different environmental variables like nutrient deficiency, temperature, dissolved oxygen availability, and the density of aquatic plants that supply appropriate conditions for algae [4,23] .…”