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Factors regulating phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass in temperate rivers
Author(s) -
Bum Ben K.,
Pick Frances R.
Publication year - 1996
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.1996.41.7.1572
Subject(s) - zooplankton , biomass (ecology) , phytoplankton , temperate climate , nutrient , phosphorus , residence time (fluid dynamics) , environmental science , zoology , biology , ecology , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
By measuring Chl a, zooplankton biomass, nutrient concentrations, and water residence time in 31 rivers in eastern Canada, we tested the following hypotheses: Chl a is positively related to nutrient concentrations and water residence time, and zooplankton biomass is positively related to Chl a and water residence time. Chl a ranged from 1.8 to 27.6 µ g liter −1 , total phosphorus (TP) from 7.3 to 212.3 µ g liter −1 , and water residence time from 3.3 to 19.4 d. There was a positive relationship between Chl a and TP ( R 2 = 0.76) and no relationship between Chl a and residence time. In contrast, zooplankton biomass was positively related to water residence time ( R 2 = 0.33). There was only a weak positive relationship between Chl a and zooplankton biomass. Mean river zooplankton biomass was low (11.3 µ g liter −1 dry mass) compared to lakes of similar Chl a concentration.