The relationship of floods, drying, flow and light to primary production and producer biomass in a prairie stream |
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Authors: | Walter K Dodds Ruth E Hutson Angela C Eichem Michelle A Evans Dolly A Gudder Ken M Fritz Lawarence Gray |
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Institution: | (1) Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 66506 Manhattan, KS, USA;(2) Department of Biology, Ottawa University, 66067 Ottawa, KS, USA |
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Abstract: | Factors related to autochthonous production were investigated at several sites along a prairie stream at Konza Prairie Research
Natural Area. Primary production, algal biomass, litter input, and ability of floods to move native substrate were measured.
Additional experiments were conducted to establish the influence of light and water velocity on primary production rates and
recovery of biomass following dry periods. The study period encompassed two extreme (> 50 year calculated return time) floods,
thus we were able to analyze the effects of scour on periphyton biomass and productivity. Biomass of sedimentary algae was
reduced greatly by flooding and did not reach preflood amounts during the 2 months following the first flood. Rates of primary
production associated with sediments recovered to levels above preflood rates within 2 weeks. Biomass of epilithic periphyton
was not affected as severely as that of sedimentary algae. Little relationship was observed between water velocity and photosythetic
rates. Production reached maximum rates at 25% of full sun light. Epilithic chlorophyll levels recovered within eight days
following a dry period, and chl a was an order of magnitude greater on rocks than sediments 51 days after re-wetting. Estimated annual rates of primary production
were 2.6 times greater in the prairie than in the forest reaches of the stream. The ratio of annual autochthonous:allochthonous
carbon input was 4.81 for prairie and 0.32 for the forest. Periphyton production in prairie streams is resilient with regard
to flooding and drought and represents a primary carbon source for the system. |
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Keywords: | periphyton flood primary production autochthonous light water velocity |
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