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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Natural Resources and Conservation

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Periphyton

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Flow, Nutrients, And Light Availability Influence Neotropical Epilithon Biomass And Stoichiometry, Tyler J. Kohler, Thomas N. Heatherly Ii, Rana W. El-Sabaawi, Eugenia Zandona, Michael C. Marshall, Alexander S. Flecker, Catherine M. Pringle, David N. Reznick, Steven A. Thomas Aug 2012

Flow, Nutrients, And Light Availability Influence Neotropical Epilithon Biomass And Stoichiometry, Tyler J. Kohler, Thomas N. Heatherly Ii, Rana W. El-Sabaawi, Eugenia Zandona, Michael C. Marshall, Alexander S. Flecker, Catherine M. Pringle, David N. Reznick, Steven A. Thomas

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Light, nutrient availability, and flow are strong factors controlling the elemental composition and biomass of epilithon in temperate stream ecosystems. However, comparatively little is known about these relationships in tropical streams. We investigated how gradients of light and nutrient availability, seasonality, and habitat influenced epilithon biomass, chlorophyll a, and nutrient ratios in montane streams of Trinidad, West Indies. We sampled 4 focal tributaries of a single river, 2 of which had canopies experimentally thinned, every other month over a 2-y period to observe temporal dynamics and light effects on epilithon. We also sampled 18 sites across Trinidad’s Northern Range Mountains …


Influence Of Canopy Cover, Nutrients, And Season On Stoichiometric Variation Of Epilithon In Neotropical Streams., Tyler J. Kohler Apr 2010

Influence Of Canopy Cover, Nutrients, And Season On Stoichiometric Variation Of Epilithon In Neotropical Streams., Tyler J. Kohler

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Light and nutrient availability are strong factors determining the nutrient composition of epilithon in temperate stream ecosystems. However, little work has been performed regarding this association in tropical streams. In our study, we investigated 1) how gradients of canopy cover and nutrients and 2) wet/dry seasonality influence epilithon standing stocks and nutrient quality. We surveyed 18 stream locations within six watersheds that varied in nutrient and light conditions during both the wet and dry seasons on the island of Trinidad to test these questions. Additionally, we sampled four stream reaches bimonthly for three years, thinning the canopy of two of …


Ecological Water Treatment System For Removal Of Phosphorus And Nitrogen From Polluted Water, Ray W. Drenner, Donald J. Day, Stacy J. Basham, J. Durward Smith, Susan I. Jensen Jan 1997

Ecological Water Treatment System For Removal Of Phosphorus And Nitrogen From Polluted Water, Ray W. Drenner, Donald J. Day, Stacy J. Basham, J. Durward Smith, Susan I. Jensen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We propose that phosphorus and nitrogen can be removed from polluted water using an ecological water treatment system consisting of periphyton and fish. In the proposed system, polluted water flows through a series of vessels, and the nutrients are taken up by periphyton growing on porous screens. Algal-grazing fish feed on the periphyton and either assimilate or egest the nutrients in mucus-bound feces that settle from the water into a sediment trap. Both the fish and their feces can be harvested as nutrient sinks. In this study we examined the effects of an algal-grazing cichlid (Tilapia mossambica) and …