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<p>Habitat complexity is widely recognised as a fundamental driver of biodiversity patterns in aquatic ecosystems; yet, its role in structuring diatom assemblages across different substrate types remains poorly understood in tropical systems. We tested whether differences in substrate complexity between epilithic (rock) and epiphytic (macrophyte) habitats structure benthic diatom communities in Western Ghats montane streams. Paired samples from 40 sites revealed that both substrates supported comparable diversity levels with high species overlap and similar rank abundance patterns. In line with the initial hypothesis, a statistically significant but ecologically negligible substrate effect was detected, with only two habitat-specific indicator taxa identified at <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05 within the total assemblage. Environmental gradients, rather than substrate-associated habitat complexity, primarily structured community composition. These results indicate comparable assemblage patterns between epilithic and epiphytic substrates under the sampled conditions, with environmental gradients accounting for proportionally more community variance than substrate identity (13.2% vs. 1.0%), though the absolute explanatory power of both components remains modest. Substrate type had a statistically detectable but ecologically negligible effect on community composition, supporting flexible substrate sampling in tropical biomonitoring programmes.</p>

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Substrate equivalence in tropical lotic diatom communities: environmental gradients override microhabitat complexity in Western Ghats, India

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月4日

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  • Anbukarasu Vigneshwaran,
  • Paul B. Hamilton,
  • Balasubramanian Karthick

摘要

Habitat complexity is widely recognised as a fundamental driver of biodiversity patterns in aquatic ecosystems; yet, its role in structuring diatom assemblages across different substrate types remains poorly understood in tropical systems. We tested whether differences in substrate complexity between epilithic (rock) and epiphytic (macrophyte) habitats structure benthic diatom communities in Western Ghats montane streams. Paired samples from 40 sites revealed that both substrates supported comparable diversity levels with high species overlap and similar rank abundance patterns. In line with the initial hypothesis, a statistically significant but ecologically negligible substrate effect was detected, with only two habitat-specific indicator taxa identified at p < 0.05 within the total assemblage. Environmental gradients, rather than substrate-associated habitat complexity, primarily structured community composition. These results indicate comparable assemblage patterns between epilithic and epiphytic substrates under the sampled conditions, with environmental gradients accounting for proportionally more community variance than substrate identity (13.2% vs. 1.0%), though the absolute explanatory power of both components remains modest. Substrate type had a statistically detectable but ecologically negligible effect on community composition, supporting flexible substrate sampling in tropical biomonitoring programmes.