KiEco Freshwater Ecology: Diatoms
Citation
Natural Resources Wales (2024). KiEco Freshwater Ecology: Diatoms. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/i5w6np accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-10-05.Description
Freshwater diatoms (phytobenthos) are free-living microscopic plants that form a biofilm on submerged substrates such as rock/stone or large plants. They are used as an indicator of water quality because their silica shells are easy to identify under the microscope. This dataset is made up of the relative abundance of different species within the sample from freshwater diatom surveys conducted across Wales by Natural Resources Wales and former Environment Agency Wales. These surveys are conducted as part of on-going monitoring of river water quality for legislative requirements and to meet business drivers.Sampling Description
Quality Control
NRW analysts all take part in a ring test to ensure competence but otherwise there has been no formal QA of our data. Prior to this upload there was currently very little diatom data on NBN Atlas to use in validating our species distributions. Therefore, NRW would welcome any verification of this dataset from expertsMethod steps
- A strict methodology is applied when sampling for freshwater diatoms. There is a core network of sites which are monitored on a three-yearly rolling programme. These sites may be added to for investigative work, or on an ad hoc basis. Sampling areas are located with a larger survey area and must be representative of the overall survey area. A stone scrape method is the most commonly used method for sampling freshwater diatoms. However, where necessary alternative methods are used, for example in areas with no suitable substrate. Natural Resources Wales collect and analyse in excess of 350 diatom samples from rivers and lakes every year. Once samples are collected they are sent to the laboratory for analysis.
Taxonomic Coverages
Geographic Coverages
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
originatorNatural Resources Wales
Maes y Ffynnon
Bangor Gwynedd
LL57 2DW
email: nbnadmin@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
homepage: https://naturalresources.wales/splash?orig=/
metadata author
Natural Resources Wales
Maes y Ffynnon
Bangor Gwynedd
LL57 2DW
email: nbnadmin@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
homepage: https://naturalresources.wales/splash?orig=/
distributor
NBN Atlas
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London
WC1N 3AX
London
GB
email: admin@nbnatlas.org
NRW NBN Administrator
administrative point of contact
position: editor
email: nbnadmin@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk