HR: 14:45h
AN: B23A-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Temporal Patterns of Periphyton Accumulation in a Temperate, Cold-Water Stream
AU: * Godwin, C M
EM: cmg290@psu.edu
AF: The Pennsylvania State University, School of Forest Resources 8b Ferguson Building , University Park, PA 16802 United States
AU: Carrick, H J
EM: hjc11@psu.edu
AF: The Pennsylvania State University, School of Forest Resources 8b Ferguson Building , University Park, PA 16802 United States
AU: Greenwald, M J
EM: mjohnsto@uvm.edu
AF: University of Vermont, Aquatic Ecology & Watershed Science Rubenstein School of Environment & Natural Resources 210 Aiken Center , Burlington, VT 05405 United States
AB: Trophic state and producer abundance in streams are determined by many factors including climate, geology, watershed ecology, and anthropogenic influences. Spring Creek is a spring fed, limestone stream within the Chesapeake Bay watershed of central Pennsylvania. Variation in benthic algae was characterized at three-week intervals for one year, whereby collections were made at five sites to evaluate how biomass changed under seasonal fluctuations in ambient conditions. Biomass and taxonomic composition of the benthic algae on natural substrata were paired with physical data pertaining to flow, light, temperature, and other growth factors to determine which factors influence growth by the community. Preliminary data show varying degrees of seasonality at the sites, with some experiencing typical temperate fluctuations in the periphyton community and others showing little change over the year. Some sites on Spring Creek experienced limited temperature change annually and several appeared to be enriched with nutrients by development and agriculture within the local watershed. Additionally, scouring disturbances caused by floods during the sampling period clearly limited the accumulation of periphyton. Analysis of these observations combined with records of the physical conditions may identify the major factors in explaining the observed patterns in periphyton accumulation.
DE: 9901 NABS Student Award - Basic Research
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly