Mycological Studies of Lake Champlain

Abstract

SUMMARYAnalyses of the seasonal fluctuation of yeast populations in Lake Champlain demonstrated a standing crop composed predominantly of Cryptococcus albidus, Rhodotorula spp., Torulopsis spp., yeasts of the Candida krusei-Pichia membranaefaciens complex and the omnipresent black yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans. Cell concentrations generally were less than 20 cells/100 ml, and varied between 1 to over 400/100 ml. In sectors of the Lake affected directly by industrial or urban effluents, distinctive yeast populations regularly exceeded 300 cells/100 ml. These yeasts rarely were isolated from other regions of the Lake. In areas receiving heated wood-pulp wastes, thermoduric strains capable of growth at 45 C were isolated. Comparison of data on yeast populations with that obtained in earlier studies of subtropical waters, demonstrates the feasibility of using species distribution patterns as indicators of water quality.