Changes in shape of the coenobial cells of an experimental strain of Pediastrum duplex var. duplex (Chlorophyta) reared at different pHs.

The changes in shape of the marginal coenobial cells in an experimentally cultured population of Pediastrum duplex Meyen var. duplex were investigated. The methods of landmark-based geometric morphometrics, including sliding landmarks registration, were used. The populations were cultured at 11 different pH levels and the changes in shape related to pH were studied using multivariate regression. The results of relative warps analysis revealed that morphological trends are related to both size and pH. The potential application of the results of this geometric morphometrical analysis of Pediastrum for biomonitoring and palaeoecological studies are discussed.