Study on the phenology of Chara vulgaris in Xin’an Spring, north China

Abstract

The phenology of Chara vulgaris was studied. The specimens were collected four times from April 2004 to January 2005 (one sampling per season). The water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, maximum width and maximum depth were monitored at every sampling time. Eighteen main morphological characteristics of the Chara vulgaris were also observed and measured under the microscope. The results showed that all the environmental factors had different seasonal patterns and some of the morphological characteristics had significant fluctuations, indicating differences in their seasonality. At the same time, some morphological characteristics were affected by the environmental parameters to some extent and the effect was primarily exhibited in its vegetative proportions; there was little effect on the sexual reproductive characteristics. Therefore, the relatively stable sexual reproductive characteristics can be used to identify the species.

Keywords

Chara vulgaris / China / environmental factors / seasonal dynamics / Xin’an Spring

References

[1] Fritsch F E (1935). The structure and reproduction of the algae. London: Cambridge University Press

[2] Fu H L, Chen H, Dong B, Qin R W (2001a). The effects of heavy metal ions on the chlorophyll content and cell membrane permeability of Charophytes. Journal of Sichuan University (Natural Science Edition), 38: 757–764 (in Chinese)

[3] Fu H L, Qin J, Chen H (2001b). Study on Charophytes ability to purify and accumulate the heavy metal ions. Journal of Sichuan University (Natural Science Edition), 38: 263–268 (in Chinese)

[4] Groves H, Bullock-Webster G R (1924). The British Charophyta. Chareae. London: The Ray Society

[5] Han F S, Li R Y (1994). Flora algarum sinicarum aquae dulcis (Tomus 3, Charophyta). Beijing: Science Press (in Chinese)

[6] Hussain M I, Khoja T M, Guerlesouin M (1996). Chemistry, ecology and seasonal succession of Charophytes in the Al-Kharj Irrigation Canal, Saudi Arabia. Hydrobiologia, 333: 129–137

[7] Hutchinson G E (1975). A Treatise on Limnology. Vol 3. In: Edmonson Y H, ed. Limnological Botany. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

[8] Imahori K (1954). Ecology phytogeography and taxonomy of the Japanese Charophyta. Kanazawa, Japan: Kanazawa University Press

[9] Kotta J, Torn K, Martin G, Orav-Kotta H, Paalme T (2004). Seasonal variation in invertebrate grazing on Chara connivens and C. tomentosa in Kiguste Bay, NE Baltic Sea. Helgoland Marine Research, 58: 71–76

[10] Lan L Q, Fu H L, Qing R W (2003). The present state of research on living Charophytes in China. Acta Micropalaeontologica Sinica, 20: 147–149 (in Chinese)

[11] Ling Y J, Xie S L, Langangen A (2000). Charales of China. Nova Hedwigia, 71: 69–94

[12] Linnaeus C (1753). Species Plantarum II. Stockholm: Impensis Laurentii Salvii, 1156–1157

[13] Luo T, Yu X D (1999). A study on the ecological variation of stipulode of Chara. Journal of Chongqing Normal University (Natural Science), 16: 68–74 (in Chinese)

[14] Moore J A (1986). Charophytes of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Botanical Society of the British Isles Publishers

[15] Olsen S (1944). Danish Charophyta. Chorological, ecological, and biological investigations. K dansk Vidensk Selsk Biol Skr, 3: 1–240

[16] Vaidya B S (1966). Study of some environmental factors affecting the occurrence of Charophytes in Western India. Hydrobiologia, 29: 256–262

[17] Wasmund E (1933). Seeablagerungen als Rohstoffe, produktive, technische und medizinische Faktoren. Archiv Für Hydrobiologie, 25: 423–532

[18] Wood R D, Imahori K (1965). Monograph of the Characeae. New York: Verlag Von J. Cramer

[19] Xie S L (2004). Seasonal dynamics of Batrachospermum gelatinosum growth and distribution in Niangziguan spring, China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 15: 1931–1934 (in Chinese)

[20] Zaneveld J S (1940). The Charophyta of Malaysia and Adjacent countries. Blumea, 4: 1–224

[21] Zhang X L, Shi G X, Xu N, Zeng X M, Xu Q S, Gu W, Zhou W H (2002). Effects of mercury and cadmium on some of physiological indicators of Chara. Journal of Nanjing Normal University (Natural Science), 25: 38–43 (in Chinese)

Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciate Professor Feng ZHANG for his helpful suggestions. We also thank the staff of our laboratory for their field work. This research was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30270119 and 30770162) and the Agricultural Development Project of Shanxi Province, China (No. 2007031042).

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg