Diversity of green algae (Chlorophyta) from extremely acid habitats

The proposed project will result in a collection of algae from extremely acid habitats. Especially it is important in a case of Heřmanice spoil heap because this unique habitat may soon be completely lost as Ostrava city authorities are planning to demolish the heap.
The main aim of this project is to investigate the green algal biodiversity in three extremely acid habitats (Heřmanice spoil heap in Ostrava and Soos Nature Reserve in the Czech Republic as well as Rio Tinto river in Spain) using molecular phylogenetics. Acid habitats usually contain both acidophilic and acid-tolerant microalgae. However, their species diversity is far from known, which is a consequence of a complex algal taxonomy and still vast sampling gaps. Therefore, we aim to extend sampling efforts in three extremely acid habitats and use molecular phylogenetics to unveil not only the existing biodiversity but also biogeographic and ecological patterns within selected genera.

Název projektu: Diversity of green algae (Chlorophyta) from extremely acid habitats
Období: 2017–2018
Poskytovatel: Národní muzeum
Typ projektu: Interní grant
Řešitel za NM: Mgr. Dovilé Barcyté

Předpokládané výsledky/výstupy:
Scientific outcomes of the proposed project will be submitted to specialized peer-reviewed journals, e.g., Journal of Phycology, Phycologia, Fottea, FEMS Microbiology Ecology. We expect that the project should result in at least two manuscripts. We intend to present our results in the frame of national (e.g., 58th or 59th Meeting of the Czech Phycological Society) and international conferences (e.g., Extremophiles 2018/Italy).