Patterns of periphyton chlorophyll and dry mass in a neotropical stream: a cheap and rapid analysis using a hand-held fluorometer
Timothy P. Moulton A E , Marcelo L. Souza B , Taldi L. Walter C and Felipe A. M. Krsulović DA Departmento de Ecologia, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20550-013, Brazil.
B INCRA, Superintendência Regional do Maranhão - SR 12, Av. Santos Dumont 18, Bairro Anil, São Luís, MA 65046-660, Brazil.
C National Audubon Society, 1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW #600, Washington, DC 20036, USA.
D Departamento de Ecologia, Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas and Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Castilla 114 -D, Santiago, Chile.
E Corresponding author. Email: moulton@uerj.br
Marine and Freshwater Research 60(3) 224-233 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08081
Submitted: 14 March 2008 Accepted: 23 October 2008 Published: 27 March 2009
Abstract
Periphyton distribution is affected by various physical, chemical and biological factors at different scales. In the present study, a cheap and rapid method of measurement was used to obtain the many samples necessary for spatial analysis of periphyton along an altitudinal gradient in a low-order stream in south-east Brazilian Atlantic rain-forest. Fluorescence and turbidity were measured using a hand-held fluorometer and calibrated to the chlorophyll and dry mass of periphyton. Periphyton on the horizontal and vertical surfaces of different boulders was examined and shading and water current were measured as covariables. The three upstream sites with higher abundances of potentially grazing and bioturbing shrimps and mayflies had significantly less periphyton dry mass than the three downstream sites. Chlorophyll was positively related to water current, but not to shading. Variabilities in the dry mass and chlorophyll among boulders within sites were not associated with the distribution of shrimps and mayflies. The in vivo measurement was cheap, rapid, sensitive and reasonably precise compared with standard methods. The necessary sacrifice of detail of pigments (different chlorophylls and pheophytin) and dry mass (organic and inorganic constituents) and probably precision was compensated for by the insights gained from the ability to obtain a large number of samples in a hierarchical design.
Additional keywords: biofilm, current, epilithon, hierarchical design, nested analysis, shade.
Acknowledgements
The Centre for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, a campus of UERJ at Ilha Grande, supplied logistical support and hospitality for which we are greatly appreciative. We thank our colleagues who helped with field and laboratory work. Rodolfo Paranhos of Laboratório de Hidrobiologia, UFRJ, provided the analyses of chlorophyll and technical support for the Aquafluor. Marcus Wellington A. de Moraes from Lunus interfaced with Turner Designs and repaired our instrument free of charge. Three anonymous referees improved the manuscript considerably. Marcelo Luiz de Souza received a doctoral scholarship from FAPERJ. Felipe A. M. Krsulović received a Masters scholarship from CNPq. Taldi L. Walter received a Travel Abroad Grant to study in Brazil from the University of Central Arkansas. This research was supported by grants 351037/1999-3 and 476951/2004-6 from CNPq.
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