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Relationships among substrate, flow, and benthic microalgal pigment density in the Mechums River, Virginia 1
Author(s) -
Tett Paul,
Gallegos Charles,
Kelly Mahlon G.,
Hornberger George M.,
Cosby B. J.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1978.23.4.0785
Subject(s) - periphyton , benthic zone , biomass (ecology) , substrate (aquarium) , environmental science , photosynthesis , standing crop , current (fluid) , streams , flow (mathematics) , spatial distribution , algae , ecology , hydrology (agriculture) , oceanography , biology , geology , botany , mathematics , remote sensing , computer network , geometry , geotechnical engineering , computer science
Measurements of photosynthetic pigments have been used to estimate the biomass of benthic microalgae on soft and hard substrates in a small river in the Virginia Piedmont. The irregular distribution of periphyton was partially related to substrate distribution and is explained as a result of spatial variations in the current regime in the river. High flow due to unpredictable and heavy rainfall is shown to be the main factor controlling algal biomass. Deterministic predictions of algal crop are therefore not possible in rivers of this type.