Phytoplankton of the Iberá system

FORASTIER MARINA E.; ZALOCAR DE DOMITROVIC YOLANDA

Fitoplancton de Argentina

CRAMER

Año: 2012;

This chapter summarizes the phytoplankton of the Iberá system, one of the largest wetlands in South America with scarce anthropic disturbances. In this Mesopotamic region the waters are poor in salts with low conductivity. The main nutrients are generally present in low concentrations. The shallow lakes of the Iberá system are surrounded by extense swamps by which the streams circulate. The phytoplankton density showed seasonal variations, with minima in autumn-winter and maxima in spring-summer. The northeastern shallow lakes are characterised by their high density with dominance of Cyanobacteria. The development of submerged vegetation towards the south of the system was one of the most important factors related to the reduction in phytoplankton density and increase of diversity. Phytoplankton density was higher in the limnetic area, where light and nutrient availability is higher for their development in relation to the vegetated area. The registered taxa were sorted into 28 functional groups. The Iberá system presents more than 1,000 algal taxa and it is one of the wetlands of major diversity of South America. It is possible that this complex system be the center of dispersion of species recorded in the Argentine Mesopotamia.