Antarctic Stream Ecosystems: Variability in Environmental Properties and Algal Community Structure
Abstract The variability in physical, chemical and biological properties was examined for a number of glacier melt streams in south Victoria Land, Antarctica. Streams flowed for between one and two months. Stream water temperatures (range = 0–11°C) varied over short (hr) time scales whilst discharge...
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crwiley:10.1002/iroh.19860710405 2024-09-15T17:45:16+00:00 Antarctic Stream Ecosystems: Variability in Environmental Properties and Algal Community Structure Howard‐Williams, Clive Vincent, Connie L. Broady, Paul A. Vincent, Warwick F. 1986 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/iroh.19860710405 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Firoh.19860710405 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/iroh.19860710405 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie volume 71, issue 4, page 511-544 ISSN 0020-9309 journal-article 1986 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/iroh.19860710405 2024-08-13T04:18:59Z Abstract The variability in physical, chemical and biological properties was examined for a number of glacier melt streams in south Victoria Land, Antarctica. Streams flowed for between one and two months. Stream water temperatures (range = 0–11°C) varied over short (hr) time scales whilst discharges varied considerably between streams (range 0.001–15 m 3 s −1 ) and over diel cycles. Solar radiation and air temperature were major determinants of stream discharge. Variability in discharge was reflected in variability in nutrient chemistry and sediment load. Nitrogen and phosphorus varied considerably between streams; the meltwaters early in summer contained 10–20 times higher levels of dissolved N and P than later in the season. Within stream nutrient levels were modified by dense algal growths and penguin rookeries. Epilithic algal communities were made up predominantly of cyanophyceae which formed mats and crusts. Longitudinal and horizontal variability of species in the communities in selected streams is described. Analyses of algal cover and biomass (chlorophyll a ) show that substrate type and flow rates are of greater importance than nutrients in influencing algal abundance and biomass. In some streams biomass values of over 20 μg Ch. a cm −2 were recorded, much of which remains viable but inactive over the antarctic winter. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Victoria Land Wiley Online Library Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie 71 4 511 544 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Abstract The variability in physical, chemical and biological properties was examined for a number of glacier melt streams in south Victoria Land, Antarctica. Streams flowed for between one and two months. Stream water temperatures (range = 0–11°C) varied over short (hr) time scales whilst discharges varied considerably between streams (range 0.001–15 m 3 s −1 ) and over diel cycles. Solar radiation and air temperature were major determinants of stream discharge. Variability in discharge was reflected in variability in nutrient chemistry and sediment load. Nitrogen and phosphorus varied considerably between streams; the meltwaters early in summer contained 10–20 times higher levels of dissolved N and P than later in the season. Within stream nutrient levels were modified by dense algal growths and penguin rookeries. Epilithic algal communities were made up predominantly of cyanophyceae which formed mats and crusts. Longitudinal and horizontal variability of species in the communities in selected streams is described. Analyses of algal cover and biomass (chlorophyll a ) show that substrate type and flow rates are of greater importance than nutrients in influencing algal abundance and biomass. In some streams biomass values of over 20 μg Ch. a cm −2 were recorded, much of which remains viable but inactive over the antarctic winter. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Howard‐Williams, Clive Vincent, Connie L. Broady, Paul A. Vincent, Warwick F. |
spellingShingle |
Howard‐Williams, Clive Vincent, Connie L. Broady, Paul A. Vincent, Warwick F. Antarctic Stream Ecosystems: Variability in Environmental Properties and Algal Community Structure |
author_facet |
Howard‐Williams, Clive Vincent, Connie L. Broady, Paul A. Vincent, Warwick F. |
author_sort |
Howard‐Williams, Clive |
title |
Antarctic Stream Ecosystems: Variability in Environmental Properties and Algal Community Structure |
title_short |
Antarctic Stream Ecosystems: Variability in Environmental Properties and Algal Community Structure |
title_full |
Antarctic Stream Ecosystems: Variability in Environmental Properties and Algal Community Structure |
title_fullStr |
Antarctic Stream Ecosystems: Variability in Environmental Properties and Algal Community Structure |
title_full_unstemmed |
Antarctic Stream Ecosystems: Variability in Environmental Properties and Algal Community Structure |
title_sort |
antarctic stream ecosystems: variability in environmental properties and algal community structure |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
1986 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/iroh.19860710405 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Firoh.19860710405 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/iroh.19860710405 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Victoria Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Victoria Land |
op_source |
Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie volume 71, issue 4, page 511-544 ISSN 0020-9309 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/iroh.19860710405 |
container_title |
Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie |
container_volume |
71 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
511 |
op_container_end_page |
544 |
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1810493019765342208 |