Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

River Biofilm Structure And Function In A Resource Landscape Modified By Agriculture: Implications For Primary Consumers, Hannah M. Fazekas

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Anthropogenic alterations to nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus bioavailability have increased the flux of these resources into the biosphere and altered stream ecosystem function. Streams modify the transport of these resources to receiving ecosystems through uptake, transformation, and mineralization. Understanding how streams process carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus can provide insight about how stream ecosystems function in landscapes where human modification is inescapable. I investigated how land use in agricultural regions affect resource availability to primary producers and consumers and the subsequent impact on stream processes. I surveyed headwater streams in three Lake Erie watersheds to determine spatiotemporal nutrient limitation of attached …