Influences of travertine dam formation on leaf litter decomposition and algal accrual |
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Authors: | Codey D Carter Jane C Marks |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, Merriam Powell Center for Environmental Research, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA;(2) US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Southwestern Forest Science Complex, 2500 South Pineknoll Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001, USA |
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Abstract: | At the time of this study Fossil Creek was being considered as a site for the restoration of a native fish assemblage, however
there was concern amongst fisheries managers about the stream being food limited due to calcium carbonate (travertine) deposition.
To evaluate the effects of travertine deposition on the aquatic food base we used leaf litterbags to compare decomposition
rates and nutrient diffusing artificial substrates to compare algal accrual rates and nutrient limitation between two distinct
reaches in Fossil creek: a travertine dam forming reach and a reach without travertine dam formation (riffle-pool reach).
Decomposition was significantly faster in the travertine dam forming reach than in the riffle-pool reach. Macroinvertebrates
in the leaf packs were more diverse in the travertine reach but more abundant in the riffle-pool reach. Algae accrued more
quickly in the travertine reach than in the riffle-pool reach and only responded to nutrient enrichment in the travertine
reach. This study was conducted prior to a hydroelectric dam decommissioning project in Fossil Creek where full flows were
reintroduced back into the stream after a century of diversion. Our results suggest concurrent increases in algal productivity,
decomposition, and macroinvertebrate diversity in the next decade as travertine dams rebuild, providing a richer food base
for fish and other aquatic organisms.
Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at
and accessible for authorised users.
Handling editor: K. Martens |
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Keywords: | Travertine Geomorphology Leaf litter decomposition Algae Algal accrual Nutrient limitation Phosphorous Nitrogen Invertebrate Dam Hydroelectric Native fish Food base |
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