In:
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Canadian Science Publishing, Vol. 43, No. 6 ( 1986-06-01), p. 1156-1162
Abstract:
Water velocity is commonly accepted as a factor in the development of benthic algal mats in streams. Within a stream, two different zones of velocity are observed: the free-water velocity of the open water and the local velocity near the stream substrate. A closed laboratory flume system was used to observe the taxonomic composition of benthic algal mats and corresponding changes in the local velocities under different free-water velocities. As the algal mat developed under each experimental velocity, local velocities diminished and eventually became equal in all sections, while free-water velocities remained different. After a period of maximum taxonomic diversity during the first 2 wk of mat development, taxonomic composition, relative abundance of the taxa, and dry weight biomass became increasingly similar in the three velocity regimes, although the mats appeared different upon casual observation. Differences in composition and morphology in natural algal mats may not result from differences in current velocity, and the idea of a "closed monolayer" algal mat may not be appropriate in all situations.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0706-652X
,
1205-7533
Language:
English
Publisher:
Canadian Science Publishing
Publication Date:
1986
detail.hit.zdb_id:
7966-2
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1473089-3
SSG:
21,3
SSG:
12
