Light- and nutrient-limited periphyton in low order streams of Oahu,Hawaii

To date, most studies of light- and nutrient-limited primary productivity in forested streams have been carried out in deciduous forests of temperate, continental regions. Conceptual models of light and nutrient limitation have been developed from these studies, but their restricted geographic range reduces the generality of such models. Unlike temperate continental streams, streams on tropical high islands are characterized by flashy, unpredictable discharge and riparian canopies that do not vary seasonally. These contrasting conditions suggest that patterns of light and nutrient limitation in tropical streams may differ from those in temperate streams. The effects of light, and nitrogen and phosphorus availability on periphyton accrual (measured as chlorophyll a per unit area) were investigated using field experiments in 4 low-order streams on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Levels of chlorophyll a in partially-shaded stream pools were significantly greater than in heavily-shaded pools, and nutrient-enrichment increased the level of chlorophyll a in partially-shaded pools but not in heavily-shaded pools. In each stream, phosphate enrichment resulted in an increase in the level of chlorophyll a, but nitrate enrichment had no effect. Spates following rainstorms occur frequently in these streams, and may increase periphyton productivity by increasing the flux of nutrients to algal cells. However, differences in inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations measured during spates and baseflow were small, and during some spates, concentrations of these two nutrients declined relative to baseflow concentrations. These observations suggest that phosphorus limitation was not alleviated by spates.