A Model Explaining Successional Change in Standing Crop of Thermal Blue‐Green Algae
1975
Fraleigh, Peter C. | Wiegert, Richard G.
The gross productivity and changes in the standing crop of both biomass and chlorophyll @a were measured during ecological succession in thermal blue—green algal community. The rate of gross production (Pg ₎ in gC°m— ²°h‐ ¹ was directly related to the chlorophyll α (Chl) in mg°m— ² and independent of light intensity (Pg = 0.018 chl⁰ , ⁵ ¹). In turn we found a log—log relationship of chlorophyll α (mg°m— ²) to biomass (x) in g°m— ² (Chl = 0.59 x¹ , ⁴ ⁰). The respiration rate (R) in gC°m— ²°day— ¹ of the algal mat was directly proportional to the biomass (R = 0.0164 x). The increasing concentration of chlorophyll α per unit biomass as succession proceeded in these thermal ecosystems contrasted with the decreasing chlorophyll concentration noted in other ecosystems. The equations were combined into a nonlinear model, and algal growth during succession was predicted on the basis of algal density, free CO₂ concentrations in the water, and day length. These predictions agreed closely with field data on biomass increase during succession.
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