Cyanobacteria microflora in a limestone spring (Troniny spring, Central Poland)

Abstract

The paper reports a study of cyanobacterial diversity in a cold-water limestone limnocrene in Central Poland. Samples were collected from 1998 to 2000 and in June 2012. The morphology, population characteristics and species composition of the cyanobacteria assemblages were investigated, and the frequency of taxa was recorded. The large number of taxa identified (30) reflects the microhabitat heterogeneity of this spring. Some species considered epiphytes grew on limestone rocks. The occurrence of the majority of the most frequent taxa was related to the physicochemical characteristics of the spring, but none of them can be considered obligatory crenobionts characteristic of limestone springs. The studied spring is a unique ecosystem with an interesting cyanobacteria microflora whose occurrence is attributable to the spring’s water chemistry, low temperature and variety of microhabitats