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The effects of transect direction on observed spatial patterns of chlorophyll in Lake Tahoe 1
Author(s) -
Abbott Mark R.,
Powell Thomas M.,
Richerson Peter J.
Publication year - 1980
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.1980.25.3.0534
Subject(s) - transect , phytoplankton , chlorophyll a , environmental science , isotropy , spatial ecology , spatial variability , oceanography , spatial heterogeneity , atmospheric sciences , geology , ecology , biology , physics , statistics , mathematics , nutrient , botany , quantum mechanics
Horizontal transects of fluorescence measurements have been used extensively to investigate phytoplankton patchiness. Variance spectra have been calculated from these data, thus quantifying spatial heterogeneity as a function of length scale. Analysis of such fieldwork and associated theoretical investigations is based on the assumption that horizontal patchiness is isotropic. Three transects done in Lake Tahoe (California‐Nevada) in different directions on the same day resulted in variance spectra that were significantly different from each other. The possibility of windrows appears consistent with the spectra. Although the exact cause of the differences is unclear, the results do violate the assumption of isotropic horizontal phytoplankton patterns.