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COLONIZATION AND STANDING CROPS OF EPILITHIC ALGAE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, PENNSYLVANIA 1
Author(s) -
Gale William F.,
Gurzynski Andrew J.,
Lowe Rex L.
Publication year - 1979
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.1529-8817.1979.tb02973.x
Subject(s) - algae , standing crop , colonization , biology , effluent , population , hydrology (agriculture) , ecology , environmental science , environmental engineering , geology , biomass (ecology) , demography , geotechnical engineering , sociology
A SCUBA diver, using a bar‐clamp sampler, collected quantitative epilithic algae samples from artificial substrates (slate and acrylic plates) and river stones at two stations on the Susquehanna River bottom in 1974. At Falls, Pennsylvania, algal colonization on monthly plates (submerged for ca. 30 day periods) was most rapid between September and October. In winter, when algal density on cumulative plates (submerged 2–13 mo) and on stones present in the river peaked at 18,100 and 21,900 units/ mm 2 , respectively, colonization of clean monthly plates nearly ceased. Similar colonization patterns were observed in a portion of the river polluted by coal mine drainages (SSES), but expansion of the algae population at SSES was inhibited by iron in the effluents, and densities never exceeded 2,400 units/mm 2 on stones or plates. Diatoms composed 95% of the overall standing crop at Falls and 65% at SSES.