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SEASONAL SUCCESSION OF ALGAL PERIPHYTON FROM A WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY 1
Author(s) -
Davis Laurie S.,
Hoffmann James P.,
Cook Philip W.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-3646.1990.00611.x
Subject(s) - algae , periphyton , biology , botany , autotroph , lyngbya , oscillatoria , nutrient , green algae , ecological succession , ecology , cyanobacteria , bacteria , genetics
Attached algal populations were sampled at weekly or biweekly to characterize successional changes in the secondary clarifiers of a wastewater treatment plant. Three communities were compared from areas of slow, medium and rapid current velocities. In general, the algae resembled those reported for other hypereutrophic flowing water. Of the twenty‐three algae recorded, Stigeoclonium, Oedogonium, Oscillatoria, Lyngbya , and Pleurocapsa were dominant at some point in the 15 month sampling period. Nutrient concentrations were consistently high (N = 1.1–21.4 mg·L −1 ; P = 0.1–10.4 mg·L −1 ); therefore, changes in temporal distribution of algae were probably dependent on seasonal changes in light and temperature. Colonization of artificial substrates was also observed. Small unicellular algae were the first autotrophs to attach and these were followed by larger filamentous forms.