Original paper
An enclosure/substratum system for in situ ecological studies of periphyton
Goldsborough, L. G.; Robinson, G. G. C.; Gurney, S. E.
Archiv für Hydrobiologie Volume 106 Number 3 (1986), p. 373 - 393
56 references
published: May 13, 1986
DOI: 10.1127/archiv-hydrobiol/106/1986/373
ArtNo. ESP141010603005, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
As limnetic enclosures have advanced the understanding of plankton ecology, littoral enclosures offer a means of investigating many aspects of periphyton. Simple, inexpensive and readily manipulated cylindrical PVC littoral enclosures are described. These enclosures have a volume of 0.3 m³, enclose a surface area of 0.5 m² and have a ratio of wall surface area to enclosed volume of 5.15. Enclosure evaluation based upon temperature, light, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, silicon, and total reactive phosphorus regimes, along with vertical profiles of periphyton primary productivity inside and outside of enclosures is presented. This evaluation along with demonstrated uniformity of periphyton biomass within enclosures suggest that these enclosures can be successfully utilized for experimental manipulations of periphyton which can be extrapolated to the unenclosed condition. Also described is the use of free-standing 0.6 cm diameter extruded acrylic rods as artificial substrata for the colonization by haptobenthic periphyton. Coefficients of variation for estimates of primary productivity, chlorophyll accumulation and particulate phosphorus of periphyton attached to such substrata compare very favourably with substrata used by other investigators. The versatility and usefulness of these substrata in combination with littoral enclosures are discussed.
Keywords
ecology • periphyton • ammonia • silicon • phosphorus