The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Dissertations Summer 8-2010 Algal Community Structure in Water Bodies of Mississippi: The Role of Environmental Factors in Its Spatial and Temporal Dynamics Nestor Raul Anzola University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations Part of the Biology Commons, and the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Anzola, Nestor Raul, "Algal Community Structure in Water Bodies of Mississippi: The Role of Environmental Factors in Its Spatial and Temporal Dynamics" (2010). Dissertations. 959. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/959 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of Southern Mississippi ALGAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN WATER BODIES OF MISSISSIPPI: THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN ITS SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS by Nestor Raul Anzola Abstract of a Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2010 ABSTRACT ALGAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN WATER BODIES OF MISSISSIPPI: THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN ITS SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS by Nestor Raul Anzola August 2010 A meta-analysis was done on studies that included six major taxa groups: Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, Chrysophyta (primarily diatoms), Euglenophyta, Pyrrophyta, and Rhodophyta and six aquatic habitats of Mississippi to determine the abundance and richness of the algal community and to identify relevant environmental drivers of algal assemblage composition. Twenty algae data sets on small order streams, large streams and rivers, lakes and reservoirs, fish production ponds, brackish water, and marine water were analyzed. Chlorophyta was dominant in lakes and reservoirs and was the most diverse taxa in the phytoplankton of small order streams and large streams and rivers. Cyanobacteria were the dominant taxa in fish production ponds, whereas diatoms were the dominant group in brackish and marine habitats. Other taxa were minor components of the phytoplankton. Nutrient input and temperature had the greatest influence on controlling phytoplankton abundance in production ponds. Temperature, salinity, and turbidity were the most important factors controlling phytoplankton periodicity and distribution in estuarine and marine water. Multivariate analyses were done by using canonical correspondence analysis to determine the environmental factors controlling the structure of the algal community in the various habitats. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and alkalinity were the best predictors of algal community structure in small order streams whereas temperature, dissolved, oxygen, pH, and ii conductivity were the key environmental factors affecting phytoplankton structure in lakes and reservoirs. iii COPYRIGHT BY NESTOR RAUL ANZOLA 2010 The University of Southern Mississippi ALGAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN WATER BODIES OF MISSISSIPPI: THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN ITS SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS by Nestor Raul Anzola A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Approved: Dr. George F. Pessoney ____________________________________ Director Dr. Sherry Herron ____________________________________ Dr. Jake Schaefer ____________________________________ Dr. Patricia Biesiot ____________________________________ Dr. Tim Orsi ____________________________________ Dr. Susan A. Siltanen ____________________________________ Dean of the Graduate School August 2010 DEDICATION IN MEMORY OF MAJOR ROBERT A. LEMIRE iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Assistance and encouragement by professors, colleagues, family, and friends can not be adequately repaid; nor can all those who contributed directly or indirectly to the completion of this dissertation be listed. Nevertheless, all their efforts are deeply and sincerely appreciated. The author wishes to express his most sincere thanks to the members of his committee, Dr. George F. Pessoney, Dr. Sherry Herron, Dr. Jake Schaefer, Dr. Patricia Biesiot, and Dr. Tim Orsi, for their assistance, suggestions, and encouragement during the preparation of this study. A special thanks is expressed to Dr. George F. Pessoney, who served as committee chairman, for his ready availability, guidance, valuable advice, constant encouragement, infinite patience, friendship, and willingness to listen to problems at all times. The financial support of the Mississippi Military Department is gratefully acknowledged. Much appreciation is extended to Major Robert A. Lemire for his continuous support of the Water Quality Monitoring Program at Camp Shelby and Camp McCain Training Sites, from which much of the data in this document was collected. I am indebted to Wilfredo Matamoros for his kind assistance with data analysis and statistical interpretation. The author extends his greatest appreciation to his wife and colleague Liliana Hernandez and his sons Andres and David for their numerous sacrifices, patience, encouragement, helping hands, and unfailing love which bolstered the author throughout the investigation and can be never fully repaid. Finally, my gratitude is given to my parents and brothers for their permanent, loving support. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………………....... ii DEDICATION ………………………………………………………………………... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..………………………………………………………..….. v LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………...... viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .…………………………………….…………………... ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION …………………………………………….……..... 1 Studies of Algae in Mississippi II. MATERIALS AND METHODS …………………………………...… 11 Description of the Study Area Treatment of Data III. RESULTS …………………………………………………………..… 23 Level I. Characterization of Algae by Habitat Physical and Chemical Characterization Algal Densities in Aquatic habitats of Mississippi and Bloom Conditions Level II. Algal Composition of Aquatic Habitats in Mississippi Level III. Algae Community Structure Related to the Environmental Variables IV. DISCUSSION ……………………………………………………….... 56 Level I. Characterization of Algae by Habitat Algal Densities in Aquatic habitats of Mississippi and Bloom Conditions Level II. Algal Composition of Aquatic Habitats in Mississippi Level III. Algae Community Structure Related to the Environmental Variables V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ………………………………… 80 vi APPENDIXES ……………………………………………………………………..... 83 LITERATURE CITED ………………………………………………………………. 106 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. List of Datasets from Freshwater and Marine Algae Studies ……………… 20 2. Density of Algae and Algal Richness in Small Order Streams ……...…….. 23 3. Density of Algae and Algal Richness in Large Streams and Rivers ….….… 24 4. Density of Algae and Algal Richness in Recreational Lakes and Water Supplies …………………………………………………………………….. 25 5. Density of Algae and Algal Richness in Oxbow Lakes and Dams at the Tombigbee River Drainage System ………...……………………………… 26 6. Density of Algae and Algal Richness in Catfish Ponds in the Mississippi Delta ……………………………………………………………………….. 27 7. Density of Algae and Algal Richness in Fish Hatcheries and Catfish Ponds with Recirculating Systems ……………………………………………..…. 28 8. Density of Algae and Algal Richness in Brackish Water ………….…...….. 30 9. Density of Algae and Algal Richness in Marine Waters of Mississippi …… 32 10. Summary of Some Water Variable Measurements for Fresh Water Habitats in Mississippi ………………………………………………………………. 33 11. Summary of Some Water Variable Measurements for Marine and Brackish Water Habitats in Mississippi …………………………………………….... 34 12. Density of Algae and Algal Richness in Aquatic Habitats of Mississippi .... 36 13. List of Algal Blooms Recorded in Habitats of Mississippi ………………... 37 14. List of Algal Genera Found in Aquatic Habitats of Mississippi …………… 39 B1. Algae Genera Present in Aquatic Habitats of Mississippi ……………….… 87 C1. Water Variables Measurements for Small Order Streams at Camp Shelby 1998-2005 ………………………………………………………….. 97 viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Location of Small Streams and Rivers with Collection Sites. 1, Camp Shelby; 2, Camp McCain; 3, Tallahala Creek; and 4, Leaf River …….…….………….. 11 2. Collection Sites at Camp Shelby. 1, Jacobs Creek; 2, Weldy Creek; 3, Caraway Creek; 4, Denham Creek; 6, Milky Creek; 7, Coleman Creek; 8A, Unnamed Creek West Branch; 8B, Unnamed Creek East Branch; 10, Weldy Creek 2; 12, Whiskey Creek; 14, Sweetwater Creek; 15, Deep Creek; 17, Hickory Creek; 18, Cypress Creek; 21, Pierce Creek; 23, Middle Creek; 25, Clear Creek; 26, Poplar Creek; 27, Davis Creek; 28, Morris Branch; M-1, Headwater of Davis Creek ……………………………………….….…………. 12 3. Collection Sites at Camp McCain. 1, Crowder Creek (in); 2, Crowder Creek (out); 3, Epison Creek (in); 4, Epison Creek (out); 5, No Name Creek (in); 6, No Name Creek (out); 7, Campbell Creek (in); 8, Campbell Creek (out)…….... 13 4. Location of Lakes with Algae Collection Sites. 1, Archusa Lake; 2, Turkey Fork Reservoir; 3, Lake Bogue Homa; 4, Flint Creek Reservoir; 5, Oktibbeha County Lake; 6, Lake Lincoln; 7, Lake Percy Quin; 8, Ross Barnet Reservoir; 9, Arkabutla Lake; 10, Sardis Lake; 11, Enid Lake; 12, Grenada Lake; 13, Wasp Lake; 14, Eagle Lake; 15, Lake Chotard; 16, Lake