Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia
https://actalb.org/article/doi/10.1590/S2179-975X8525
Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia
Original Article

Periphytic algae of subtropical Andean streams in Argentina along an altitudinal gradient: a taxonomic and functional trait approach

Algas perifíticas de riachos andinos subtropicais na Argentina ao longo de um gradiente altitudinal: uma abordagem taxonômica e de atributos funcionais

María de los Ángeles Taboada; Guillermo Eduardo Hankel; María de Lourdes Gultemirian; Carlos Molineri

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S2179-975X8525 Acta Limnol. Bras. (Online), vol.38, e25, 2026
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Abstract

Aim: The research aimed to determine how environmental variables and seasonal hydrology influence biological organization by integrating taxonomic metrics with functional ecology.

Methods: Six streams were sampled during summer and winter. Physicochemical parameters were measured alongside periphytic algae collection to analyze density, diversity (Hill numbers), and functional traits (size, mucilage, and siliceous walls). Multi-table multivariate ordination and co-inertia models integrated these datasets across altitudinal strata and seasonal periods.

Results: The community (147 taxa, predominantly diatoms) is governed by a dual regulatory regime. Winter low-water periods promoted mature biofilms with higher diversity and biomass due to bed stability, whereas summer floods acted as a disruptive physical disturbance (scouring) that reset successional stages. The altitudinal gradient operated as a deterministic filter, establishing a distinct spatial segregation: higher altitude streams (lower temperatures, higher current velocity) favored specialized traits like silica cell walls, while low and mid-altitude sites (higher mineralization and phosphates) favored high biovolume and mucilage production.

Conclusions: The structural and functional organization of periphytic algae assemblages is shaped by a dual regime of spatial and temporal filters. This study provides the first functional baseline for the region, which is crucial for understanding ecosystem stability in Andean lotic systems under climate variability.

Keywords

altitudinal gradient; functional traits; hydrological seasonality; northwestern argentina; periphyton; subtropical mountain streams

Resumo

Objetivo: A pesquisa teve como objetivo determinar como as variáveis ambientais e a hidrologia sazonal influenciam a organização biológica, integrando métricas taxonômicas com a ecologia funcional.

Métodos: Seis riachos foram amostrados durante o verão e o inverno. Os parâmetros físico-químicos foram medidos juntamente com a coleta de algas perifíticas para analisar a densidade, a diversidade (números de Hill) e os atributos funcionais (tamanho, mucilagem e paredes siliciosas). Modelos de ordenação multivariada multitabela e de co-inércia integraram esses conjuntos de dados entre os estratos altitudinais e os períodos sazonais.

Resultados: A comunidade (147 táxons, predominantemente diatomáceas) é governada por um regime de regulação duplo. Os períodos de águas baixas no inverno promoveram biofilmes maduros com maior diversidade e biomassa devido à estabilidade do leito, enquanto as cheias de verão atuaram como um distúrbio físico disruptivo (remoção por arraste), reiniciando os estágios sucessionais. O gradiente altitudinal operou como um filtro determinante, estabelecendo uma segregação espacial distinta: riachos de maior altitude (menores temperaturas, maior velocidade da corrente) favoreceram atributos especializados, como paredes celulares de sílica, enquanto locais de baixa e média altitude (maior mineralização e fosfatos) favoreceram alto biovolume e produção de mucilagem..

Conclusões: A organização estrutural e funcional das assembleias de algas perifíticas é moldada por um regime duplo de filtros espaciais e temporais. Este estudo fornece a primeira base funcional para a região, o que é crucial para a compreensão da estabilidade ecossistêmica em sistemas lóticos andinos sob a variabilidade climática.

Palavras-chave

algas perifíticas; atributos funcionais; gradiente altitudinal; noroeste da argentina; riachos de montanha subtropicais; sazonalidade hidrológica

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Submitted date:
12/10/2025

Accepted date:
09/08/2026

Publication date:
10/06/2026

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