Do diatoms run downhill? Using biodiversity of terrestrial and aquatic diatoms to identify hydrological connectivity between aquatic zones in Luxembourg

Diatoms are siliceous unicellular algae, and range in size between a few and more than 500 micrometers. Diatoms are spread worldwide, live in many aquatic habitats, have many life forms and their short generation time make them respond rapidly to environmental changes. Their taxonomic diversity represents a valuable tool to assess water quality as each taxon has specific responses to environmental factors. Recently, diatoms have been used as tracers to detect the onset/cessation of surface runoff through binary classification of terrestrial and aquatic species in the Attert basin in Luxembourg. In order to continue the validation of these first results, we have collected samples during rain events at different seasons of the year using automatic stream water samplers, grab samples of diatoms from various terrestrial and subaerial substrates (bryophytes, litter and leaves), as well as from aquatic habitats (epilithon, epipelon and drift samples). This new type of information will be used to constrain assumptions of the conventional tracer-based hydrograph separation technique (i.e. using geochemistry and stable isotopes). The first results concerning the diatom flora, based on 39 samples, revealed 152 species belonging to 38 genera. The most species-rich genera were Pinnularia (15.8% - 24 taxa), Eunotia (13.2% - 20 taxa), Gomphonema (8.6% - 13 taxa), Navicula (7.2% - 11 taxa) and Stauroneis (5.3% - 8 taxa). The flora are mainly composed of oligotrophic and/or acidophilic taxa (32.0%), ubiquitous (14.0%) or poorly known ecologically species (43.0%). The most important taxa found in drift samples were Fragilariforma virescens, Fragilaria capucina sensu lato, Planothidium lanceolatum, Eunotia minor, Achnanthidium kranzii, Karayevia oblongella and Eunotia incisa. In the riparian zone (n = 10), 102 species were observed, with Eunotia exigua var. tenella, Eunotia botuliformis and Pinnularia perirrorata being among the most frequent. Epilithic samples from the main channel have been represented mainly by monoraphid species such as Achnanthidium subatomoides and Achnanthidium minutissimum. A general qualitative overview of the diatom flora - concerning specific ecological requirements of the taxa - showed that most diatom species are characteristic of the riparian zone (30%), while 12% are typical of the riparian/upland transition zone. Only 3% of species are strictly freshwater (Aquatic zone) forms and 8% stem from the aquatic/riparian zone. The qualitative analysis of drift collected by automatic samplers showed that during floods the origin of diatom species partly stems from riparian and/or terrestrial-upland habitats. Additional investigations over a longer period and range of events are being conducted. Furthermore, the study of the biodiversity of diatoms in this small catchment will also contribute to a better definition of the ecological preferences of many species which are still poorly known to date.