TY  - JOUR
A1  - Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen Rosemarie
A1  - Epp, Laura Saskia
A1  - Trauth, Martin H.
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Hidden diversity in diatoms of Kenyan Lake Naivasha a genetic approach detects temporal variation
JF  - Molecular ecology
N2  - This study provides insights into the morphological and genetic diversity in diatoms occurring in core sediments from tropical lakes in Kenya. We developed a genetic survey technique specific for diatoms utilizing a short region (7667 bp) of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit (rbcL) gene as genetic barcode. Our analyses (i) validated the use of rbcL as a barcoding marker for diatoms, applied to sediment samples, (ii) showed a significant correlation between the results obtained by morphological and molecular data and (iii) indicated temporal variation in diatom assemblages on the inter- and intra-specific level. Diatom assemblages from a short core from Lake Naivasha show a drastic shift over the last 200 years, as littoral species (e.g. Navicula) are replaced by more planktonic ones (e.g. Aulacoseira). Within that same period, we detected periodic changes in the respective frequencies of distinct haplotype groups of Navicula, which coincide with wet and dry periods of Lake Naivasha between 1820 and 1938 AD. Our genetic analyses on historical lake sediments revealed inter- and intra-specific variation in diatoms, which is partially hidden behind single morphotypes. The occurrence of particular genetic lineages is probably correlated with environmental factors.
KW  - diatoms
KW  - DNA barcoding
KW  - historical DNA
KW  - intra-specific variation
KW  - rbcL
KW  - tropical lake sediments
Y1  - 2012
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05412.x
SN  - 0962-1083
VL  - 21
IS  - 8
SP  - 1918
EP  - 1930
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Malden
ER  -