Okna příležitostí: změny v říčních rozsivkových společenstvech během průtokového roku v Rakouských Alpách.

Severa, František

Glaciers are rapidly receding in the European Alps as a consequence of climate change, altering the flow regimes of the glacier-fed rivers that drain them. This transition is likely to affect resident organisms through subsequent changes in discharge, temperature, and dissolved ions. Yet, little is known about how the resident communities currently respond to similar changes that naturally take place over the course of the year, let alone how they might respond to glacier recession in the future. Thus, in my work, I investigate how seasonal changes in discharge and temperature influence glacier-fed stream diatom (Bacillariophyta) communities. To do this, I studied benthic sediments that were sampled on six weeks bases across a full annual hydrological cycle from September 2023 to September 2024 in three Austrian streams. A so-called 'window of opportunity' (a period of favorable conditions in the absence of glacier melt), occurred in late December and March, allowing for comparisons within and among these 'window' periods. Increased algal biomass was observed already in January, despite low temperatures, but the largest peak occurred in March. The composition of the diatom community in the sediments was examined using both light microscopy and environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing. However, the...

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