A continuous‐flow periphyton bioassay: Tests of nutrient limitation in a tundra stream1

• Published in: Limnology and Oceanography
• Main Authors: Peterson, Bruce J., Hobbie, John E., Corliss, Teresa L., Kriet, Keith
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1983
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Oceanography; Tundra
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.4319/lo.1983.28.3.0583; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.4319%2Flo.1983.28.3.0583; https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.4319/lo.1983.28.3.0583

The effect of added nutrients on the periphyton of a tundra stream was tested during July and August. Flow‐through systems consisting of a bank of clear plastic tubes containing racks of microscope slides were suspended from floats in the stream. Nutrients were enriched in the experimental tubes by siphoning concentrated nutrient solutions from Mariotte bottles into the upstream end of each tube. Slides from each tube were assayed at 2–6‐day intervals for chlorophyll content and photosynthetic 14 CO 2 uptake. Levels of chlorophyll and CO 2 uptake were significantly higher than the controls both in the tubes with 10 µ g PO 4 ‐P · liter −1 of stream water and in those with P plus 100 µ g NH 4 NO 3 − N·liter −1 . Nitrogen alone gave no stimulation.