Orlando Necchi Jr. Editor River Algae River Algae Orlando Necchi Jr. Editor River Algae Editor Orlando Necchi Jr. Department of Zoology and Botany São Paulo State University São José do Rio Preto , SP , Brazil ISBN 978-3-319-31983-4 ISBN 978-3-319-31984-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-31984-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016939587 © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 T his work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. T he use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. T he publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland I dedicated this book to my wife Vânia, my daughter Lisandra and my son Cauê, for the support, understanding and love along our journey that made my personal and professional life plenty of joy and accomplishments. Foreword C omments about algae in fl owing waters have appeared in the scientifi c literature for at least a hundred and fi fty years, with true scientifi c papers appearing towards the end of the nineteenth century and a rapid increase over the past 60 years. No journal has, however, dealt only with river algae, and the literature is scattered in many different types of publications, not just journals. River Algae provides overviews of all the main groups of algae to be found in fl owing waters, including the taxonomy of characteristic species, physiological and descriptive ecology and the contribution of algae to river ecosystem processes. The book provides readers not only with an easy way of fi nding out about the many stud- ies, but also how this information relates to topics such as pollution and environ- mental monitoring. A broad knowledge of the literature is especially important when dealing with practical matters. For instance, in the case of river algae causing nuisance problems, their control has sometimes been hindered by researchers fail- ing to read relevant information published in the past. A s discussed for diatom indices in the fi nal chapter, the use of river algae for monitoring purposes has greatly increased over the past quarter of a century. However, monitoring with algae has often relied on correlations between occur- rence and particular environmental variables. A broad knowledge of the literature should give researchers a much better understanding of the real drivers infl uencing the occurrence and abundance of the species involved. A lthough having a problem to solve is often essential for getting funds for research, those with a wider understanding of river algae can also get great enjoyment from visiting a stream or river simply to look at the algae. Features can often be seen which stimulate interest and questions, especially in shallow fast-fl owing streams. Answers to the questions may occur many years later as research progresses. Durham , UK Brian A. Whitton School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences Durham University vii Pref ace Algae inhabiting river habitats have never been approached in a single book but only as parts of more general publications dealing with ecology, taxonomy and bio- assessment of freshwater algae. As a result, river algae have been treated among other organisms and ecological topics of river ecosystems or as part of publications dealing with freshwater algae in general. The basic aim of this book is to provide a comprehensive approach of some relevant topics on algae inhabiting rivers. River Algae is focused on benthic communities aiming to show the importance of their role in the structure and function of communities in river ecosystems. Although the content is not formally divided into sections, the book covers two basic aspects: (a) the taxonomy of river-inhabiting algal groups, including phylogeny, distribution, collection, preservation and description of the most representative genera of algae in river benthic algal communities, and (b) the ecology of river algae, including ecological factors infl uencing abundance, distribution and diversity of river benthic algal communities and their use as bio-indicators. The book comprises 11 chapters written by renowned experts from Europe, North and South America providing updated information on taxonomy, ecology, methodology and uses of benthic river algae. The book is of potential interest to a wider audience, including researchers, students and professionals in diverse fi elds such as freshwater algae, limnology, aquatic biology, water quality assessment and biodiversity in river ecosystems. São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil Orlando Necchi Jr. ix