Influence of Substrate Type on the Attachment of Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kütz

Abstract

The Cladophora genus comprises macro benthic green algae, widely distributed in estuaries, rivers, and lakes around the world. It is often a dominant species and influences environmental and ecological systems. Cladophora is a biological material with great development potential due mainly to its significant biomass and the ease with which it can be harvested. Furthermore, because it can live on various carriers or vectors, the growth conditions of Cladophora can affect the group to which it belongs. To investigate the growth of the Cladophora group in the natural environment, this study endeavored to (1) observe the biomass accumulation of Cladophora glomerata on varying substrates, (2) determine whether substrate roughness has an impact on the attachment of C. glomerata, and (3) identify the relationship between the attachment of pioneer diatoms and C. glomerata. Five types of substrate were selected (glass slide, glazed tile, marble, unglazed tile, and wood) and placed in the natural habitat of C. glomerata, a sub-tropical river. After thirty days, unglazed tile produced the largest biomass of 2332.2 dry weight mg/m2, followed by wood (1744.3 dry weight mg/m2), marble (158.1dry weight mg/m2), glass slide (90.7dry weight mg/m2), and glazed tile(36.3 dry weight mg/m2). The results of this study indicate that the type and roughness of the substrate both influence the attachment of C. glomerata and the subsequent development of its population. The existence of biofilm formed by pioneer diatoms on the substrate is also beneficial to the epiphytic growth of C. glomerata. Moreover, the development of pioneer diatoms is associated with the type of substrate and its silicon content.