The Seasonal Succession of Periphyton Communities on Different Sizes of Substratum in Juday Creek from December 1995 through July 1997
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Authors
Berlin, Daniel J.
Issue Date
1997
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Benthic algae are ideal indicators of the health of most aquatic ecosystems.
They are primary producers in food webs and are the fundamental components in
aquatic biogeochemical cycles. Not until recently has the study of algae shifted to
periphyton (attached algae) in lotic habitats. A field experiment was conducted to
determine the effect of rock size and seasonal influence on the biomass and
taxonomic structure of the periphyton community in Juday Creek, IN. Samples were
collected from all four seasons: December 1995, April 1996, June 1997, and July
1997. Chlorophyll a, ash free dry mass (AFDM), algal density, diversity, and
individual abundance of genera were measured on six different substrate sizes,
ranging in diameter from 0.06 mm to greater than 256 mm. Chlorophyll a, AFDM,
and algal density increased during the winter and spring months and were highest on
large cobble and boulder substrates (128-256 mm and >256 mm) (P < 0.05 for all
three variables). Diversity indices were highest on boulder and large cobble
substrates (P < 0.05). Some taxa predominated on large cobble and boulder all year
while others thrived on these substrates only during the winter and spring. The
results suggest that diatom growth-form may explain taxon-specific responses to
disturbance (e.g. downstream tumbling) varying with different substrate sizes and
seasonal changes throughout the year. Only one green alga, Cladophora,
predominated in the winter and spring months on large cobble. Seasonal light
intensity and algae physiognomy directly influenced the algal assemblage on different
sized rocks in Juday Creek.
Description
vi, 26 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
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