Difference in the Abundance of Periphytic Algae in Soft Sediments and Hard Substrates of Cold Water Streams

Abstract

Benthic algae, also known as periphyton, are a diverse organism that inhabits various environments. They play an important role in the aquatic environment, as they are important food source for invertebrates and fish. Periphyton also regulates the exchange of nutrients. These are the reasons for many researchers to examine the periphyton richness and abundance. These algae that inhabit soft sediments such as sand, mud, and silt are called epipelic algae and ones that inhabit hard substrates are called epilithic algae. Yet research concerning this topic has only focused on, epilithic algae, the periphyton found on hard substrates. Our first objective was to compare the abundance of epilithic algae and the epipelic algae in cold water streams. Our second objective was to attempt to find variables that are accountable for the larger population of epipelic algae. We looked at physical factors such as water depth and canopy coverage of the epipelon’s sample location.