Abstract
An arctic river was fertilized continuously through the ice-free season with phosphoric acid beginning in 1983. The epilithic diatom community increased in biomass in the first two years in response to the added limiting nutrient (Peterson et al., 1983). The diatom community switched from one dominated by Hannea arcus to one dominated by species of Achnanthes and Cymbella. The immediate responses to the P-addition were decreases in both the Shannon diversity and evenness indices. By the second year, the community diversity increased downriver reaching maximal species richness (110-127 spp). In 1985-1987, the epilithic algal biomass decreased an order of magnitude with both whole-river P04 (1985, 1987) and P04 + NH4 addition (1986). In the 5th summer of fertilization, the reduction in biomass was clearly caused by a numerical increase of grazing, refugia-building chironomids (Orthocladiinae, primarily) (Gibeau, 1991; Gibeau, Miller, Hershey, in prep.). We assume the algal biomass reduction in the 3rd and 4th years was similarly caused by grazers with a two year time lag in the numerical response of these monovoltine species. The evenness of the community increased in 1986 as if it might have been grazed; however the number of immigrants was reduced. The community became dominated by Eunotia, Cymbella and Achnanthes, species either fast growing or more prostrate, as the erect species of Hannea, Diatoma, and Fragillaria declined. A detrended correspondence analysis of the temporal and spatial diatom samples in species space (186 spp.) showed that the largest variation in the community was between years and less variation was associated with river fertilization.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Cattaneo, A., 1983. Grazing on epiphytes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 28: 124–132.
Connell, J. H., 1978. Diversity in tropical rainforests and coral reefs. Science 199: 1302–1310.
Edmondson, W. T., 1959. Freshwater Biology 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, N.Y. 1248 p.
Fisher, S. G., 1987. Succession in streams. In Barnes, J. R & G. W. Minshall (eds). Stream Ecology. Plenum Press. N.Y.: 7–27.
Gaugh, H. G., Jr., 1982. Multivariate analysis in community ecology. Cambridge U. Press. Cambridge, U.K.
Gibeau, G. G. Jr. & M. C. Miller, 1989. A micro-bioassay for epilithon using nutrient-diffusing artificial substrata. Freshwat. Biol. 5: 172–176.
Hershey, A. E., A. L. Hiltner, M. A. J. Hullar, M. C. Miller, R J. Vestal, M. A. Lock, S. Rundle & B. J. Peterson, 1988. Nutrient influence on a stream grazer: Orthoc1adius microcommunitites respond to nutrient input. Ecology 69: 1383–1392.
Hill, M. 0., 1979. Decorana. Ecology and Systematics Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 52 p.
Hoagland, K. D., S. C. Roemer & J. R. Rosowski, 1982. Colonization and community structure of two periphyton assemblages, with emphasis on the diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) Am. J. Bot. 69: 188–213.
Hoagland, K. D., A. Zlotsky & C. G. Peterson, 1986. The source of algal colonizers on rock substrates in a freshwater impoundment. In L. V. Evans & K. D. Hoagland (eds), Algal Biofouling. Elsevier Science Publishers. Amsterdam: 21–39.
Homer, R. R & E. B. Welch, 1981. Stream periphyton development in relation to current velocity and nutrients. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 38: 449–457.
Hullar, M. A. & J. R Vestal, 1989. The effects of nutrient limitation and stream discharge on the epilithic microbial community in an oligotrophic arctic stream. Hydrobiologia 172: 19–26.
Hunter, R. D., 1980. Effects of grazing on the quantity and quality of freshwater aufwuchs. Hydrobiologia 69: 251–259.
Hynes, H. B. N., 1960. The biology of polluted waters. Liverpool Univ. Press, U.K.
Hynes, H. B. N., 1970. The ecology of running waters. Univ. Toronto Press, Canada 555 p.
Kaufman, L. H., 1982. Stream aufwuchs accumulation: disturbance frequency and stress resistance and resilience. Oecologia 52: 57–63.
Kehde, P. M. & J. L. Wilhm, 1972. The effects of grazing by snails on community structure of periphyton in laboratory streams. Am. MidI. Nat. 87: 8–24.
Lamberti, G. A. & V. H. Resh, 1983. Stream periphyton and insect herbivores: an experimental study of grazing by a caddishfly population. Ecology 64: 1124–1135.
Leland, H. V. & J. L. Carter, 1986. Use of detrended correspondence analysis in evaluating factors controlling species composition of periphyton. pp. 101-117. In Isom, B. G. (ed.) Rationale for sampling and interpretation of ecological data in the assessment of freshwater ecosystems. ASTM STP 894. Am. Soc. Testing and Materials. Philadelphia.
Lock, M. A., T. E. Ford, D. M. Fiebig, M. C. Miller, M. Hullar, M. Kaufman, J. R Vestal, B. J. Peterson & J. E. Hobbie, 1989. A biogeochemical survey of rivers and streams in the mountains and foot-hills province of arctic Alaska. Arch. Hydrobiol. 115: 499–521.
Lowe, R. L., S. W. Golladay & J. R. Webster, 1986. Periphyton response to nutrient manipulation in streams draining clearcut and forested watersheds. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 5: 221–229.
Lubchenco, J., 1978. Plant species diversity in a marine intertidal community: importance of herbivore food preference and algal competitive abilities. Am. Nat. 112: 23–39.
MacArthur, R. H. & E. O. Wilson, 1967. The theory of island biogeography. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, N.J.
McCormick, P. V. & R J. Stevenson, 1989. Effects of sanil grazing on benthic algal community structure in different nutrient environments. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 8: 162–172.
McNaughton, S. J. & L. L. Wolf, 1973. General Ecology. Holt Reinhart & Winston, Inc. N.Y. 710 p.
Mulholland, P. J., J. D. Newbold, J. W. Elwood & C. L. Hom, 1983. The effect of grazing intensity on phosphorus spiralling in autotrophic streams. Oecologia 58: 358–366.
Patrick, R, 1970. Benthic stream communities. Am. Scientist 58: 546–549.
Patrick, R, 1977. Ecology of freshwater diatoms and diatom communities. In D. Werner (ed.) Biology of Diatoms. Univ. California Press, Berkeley: 284–332.
Patrick, R, J. Cairns Jr. & A. Scheier, 1968. The relative sensitivity of diatoms, snails and fish to twenty common constituents of industrial wastes. Prog. Fish Culturist 30: 137–140.
Peterson, B. J., J. E. Hobbie, T. L. Corliss & D. Kriet, 1983. A continuos flow periphyton bioassay; Tests of nutrient limitation in a tundra stream. Lirnnol. Oceanogr. 28: 582–595.
Peterson, B. J., J. E. Hobbie, A. E. Hershey, M. A. Lock, T. E. Ford, J. R. Vestal, V. L. McKinley, M. A. J. Hullar, M. C. Miller, R M. Ventullo & G. S. Yolk, 1985. Transformation of a tundra river from heterotrophy to autotrophy by addition of phosphorus. Science 229: 1383–1386.
Peterson, B. J., J. E. Hobbie & T. L. Corliss, 1986. Carbon flow in a tundra stream ecosystem. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 43: 1259–1270.
Poff, N. L., N. J. Voelz & J. V. Ward, 1990. Algal colonization under four experimentally-controlled current regimes in a high mountain stream. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 9: 303–318.
Poole, R., 1974. An introduction to quantitative ecology. McGraw-Hill. N.Y. 532 p.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Miller, M.C., DeOliveira, P., Gibeau, G.G. (1992). Epilithic diatom community response to years of PO4 fertilization: Kuparuk River, Alaska (68 N Lat.). In: O’Brien, W.J. (eds) Toolik Lake. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 78. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2720-2_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2720-2_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5206-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2720-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive