Figures (4)  Tables (3)

    • Figure 1.  Sampling in Pilinguli cave stream (a), close up view (b) and overall view (c) of Nayarmoole cave stream.

    • Figure 2.  Scheme of direct and indirect assessment of cave stream samples for aquatic hyphomycetes.

    • Figure 3.  Conidia of selected aquatic hyphomycetes obtained from the lateritic cave stream samples.

    • Figure 4.  Species richness of aquatic hyphomycetes in different samples in lateritic cave streams.

    • Cave Overall mean±SD
      Kodandooru Pilinguli Nekkare Nayarmoole
      Humidity (%) 78.1 80.8 77.1 82.2 79.6 ± 2.4
      Air temperature (℃) 31.1 32.2 30.1 31.7 31.3 ± 0.9
      Water temperature (℃) 23.2 21.3 24.1 25.2 23.5 ± 1.7
      pH 7.3 7.7 6.9 8.1 7.5 ± 0.5
      Conductivity (µS/cm) 51.0 44.0 69.6 55.6 55.1 ± 10.8
      Dissolved oxygen (mg/l) 8.6 8.2 8.0 8.9 8.4 ± 0.4
      Total alkalinity (mg/l) 30.5 39.6 26.9 42.9 35.0 ± 7.5
      Total hardness (as CaCO3) 16.6 22.4 27.2 24.2 22.6 ± 4.5
      Total dissolved solids (mg/l) 25.2 24.8 39.2 42.9 33.0 ± 9.4
      Chloride (mg/l) 4.4 4.3 6.2 7.3 5.6 ± 1.5
      Sulphate (mg/l) 1.8 2.4 2.7 1.9 2.2 ± 0.4
      Phosphate (mg/l) 6.2 4.9 2.6 4.5 4.6 ± 1.5
      Silicate (mg/l) 23.5 18.1 26.7 22.5 22.7 ± 3.6
      Magnesium (mg/l) 3.2 4.5 6.3 4.3 4.6 ± 1.3

      Table 1.  Physicochemical features of four lateritic cave streams (mean, n = 3)

    • Direct observation Bubble chamber incubation
      Leaf litter Woody litter
      Foam Water Bark Cambium
      Species richness 7 14 15 11 9
      Simpson diversity 0.809 0.835 0.796 0.812 0.828
      Shannon diversity 2.541 3.005 2.967 2.893 2.724
      Pielou's equitability 0.905 0.789 0.759 0.836 0.859

      Table 2.  Per cent contribution of conidia of aquatic hyphomycetes in lateritic cave streams (n = 4, mean) (*, among 300 conidia in foam; **, in 25 ml water; ***, in g dry mass of leaf, bark and cambium)

    • FOF number Direct observation Bubble chamber incubation
      Leaf litter*** Woody litter***
      Foam* Water** Bark Cambium
      Lunulospora curvula Ingold FoF10483 14.5 14.6 39.7 22.0 15.0
      Anguillospora longissima (Sacc. & P. Syd.) Ingold FoF10479 28.0 30.3 9.3 34.0 25.4
      Flagellospora curvula Ingold FoF10482 21.0 12.4 14.7 8.0 13.7
      Anguillospora crassa Ingold FoF10478 18.0 7.9 5.8 4.0 13.7
      Cylindrocarpon sp. - 14.6 7.5 - 20.4
      Triscelophorus acuminatus Nawawi FoF10487 - 1.1 6.4 4.0 -
      Speiropsis pedatospora Tubaki FoF02652 10.5 3.4 1.0 - 2.2
      Wiesneriomyces laurinus (Tassi) P.M. Kirk FoF09127 5.5 7.9 3.1 - -
      Ingoldiella hamata D.E. Shaw FoF10485 - - 2.1 4.0 1.4
      Condylospora spumigena Nawawi FoF10481 - - 2.1 4.0 -
      Anguillospora angulata (R.H. Petersen) Redhead & G.P. White FoF10477 - - - 8.0 -
      Actinospora megalospora Ingold FoF10476 - - 1.0 4.0 -
      Clavariopsis aquatica de Wild. FoF10480 - - 1.0 4.0 -
      Tricladium sp. - 2.3 2.1 - -
      Helicosporium sp. - 1.1 - 4.0 -
      Triscelophorus monosporus Ingold FoF10489 - 1.1 2.1 - -
      Tripospermum sp. - - 2.1 - -
      Ingoldiella fibulata Nawawi FoF10484 2.5 1.1 - - 1.4
      Triscelophorus konajensis K.R. Sridhar & Kaver. FoF10488 - - - - 6.8
      Anguillospora sp. - 1.1 - - -
      Trinacrium subtile Riess FoF10486 - 1.1 - - -

      Table 3.  Species richness, diversity and equitability of aquatic hyphomycetes in lateritic cave streams