MULTIDIMENSIONAL-ANALYSIS OF DIATOM MORPHOLOGIC AND MORPHOMETRIC PHENOTYPIC VARIATION AND RELATION TO NICHE

There have been few past studies of relationships between phenotypic v ariation and population niche. In this study, phenotypic variation was separated into morphometric and morphologic variation which was relat ed to niche for fourteen diatoms using canonical correspondence analys is (CCA). The degree of environmental influence was explored further v ia fuzzy coding of the variables and analyzed by a second CCA. Overall , the relationship between phenotypic variation and niche breadth vari ed on a dimension-by-dimension basis. Generally, morphometric characte rs of diatoms were influenced by genetic factors, while morphologic ch aracters were environmentally influenced. CCA proved to be a useful me thod to depict relationships between phenotypic variation and niche.