Diatoms of North America

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Approximately 150 collections from 45 waterbodies along the Atlantic Coastal Plain are included in this volume, focusing on three key areas in North Carolina: Pocosin National Wildlife Refuge (11 sites), Croatan National Forest (9 sites), and Bladen Lakes State Forest (7 sites). These waterbodies encompass shallow wetlands, small ponds, lakes, and canals, varying from 0.4 ha to over 6,475 ha (Phelps Lake). Generally, they are shallow, less than 3 meters deep, and monomictic, not freezing in winter. All sites are associated with pocosin or Carolina bay vegetation, characteristic of this region. A fourth area of study includes 13 waterbodies in the Pinelands National Reserve in southern New Jersey, characterized by sandy, well-drained soils and xerophytic vegetation. Observations of diatom floras in five small Carolina bays on the Delmarva Peninsula in Maryland are also included. Most New Jersey and Maryland waterbodies are shallow lakes classified as warm monomictic. A total of 231 diatom taxa were recorded in the Atlantic Coastal Plain sites, while 242 taxa were found in Cape Cod ponds, highlighting distinct diatom floras between the two regions, with 102 species reported from the Atlantic Coastal Plain not found in Cape Cod waterbodies.