Diatoms of the genus Gomphonema Ehrenberg fromthe peat bog at Pešter plateau

Abstract

Diatoms are large and diverse group of single-celled algae and are distributed throughout the world in nearly all types of aquatic systems. The main purpose of this study was to collect records on the floristics and characteristics of the assemblages of the peat bog at Pešter plateau inhabiting diatoms. Peat bogs are very important as significant relict habitats and have unique character not only in Serbia but in Europe as well. One of the permanent componenets of the biota of peat bogs are diatoms. The material used in the present study was collected from peat bog at Pešter plateau in June and September 2008, May 2009 and August 2011 from three localities. Various types of diatom communities including epiphytes, benthos and plankton were studied. The results of a floristic analyses were focused on taxa representing the genus Gomphonema Ehrenberg. Taxa belonging to the genus Gomphonema were very frequently recorded diatom in the observed material. Among 250 records 22 belong to this genus. Some of them are widespread in Serbia, but five are new to the Serbian diatom flora. All reported taxa are documented by LM micrographs. Brief notes on their morphological characters and dimensions of frustule, distribution and ecology are provided.