Ecosystem Processes of Epilithis and Epixylic Periphyton in a Backwater of the Upper Mississippi River

Download or read book Ecosystem Processes of Epilithis and Epixylic Periphyton in a Backwater of the Upper Mississippi River written by Shane Daniel Symmank and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In large lotic aquatic systems like the upper Mississippi River (UMR), the majority of primary production is most often attributed to pelagic (free-floating) biological communities, or macrophyte communities. However, the ecological significance of benthic microbial communities is critical when assessing the quality of these aquatic habitats. Benthic systems teem with aquatic microbes, many of which inhabit matrixenclosed biofilms (i.e., periphyton) that contribute to key ecological processes such as primary production, community respiration, nutrient cycling, and secondary production. The objective of this study was to culture periphyton on three different types of artificial substrates (unglazed ceramic tile and two types of wood: poplar and pine) situated inside exclosures developed specifically to inhibit colonization by large macroinvertebrate grazers. The exclosures were deployed in Target Lake, a backwater lake in Pool 8 of the UMR, for three week incubations throughout the summer of 2010. Periphyton growth on the substrates was subsequently analyzed for biomass (i.e., chlorophyll a and ash-free dry mass), primary production, and secondary production. Data from early summer (late May through early July) exclosure deployments showed significant (ANOVA, p