Abstract
Germanium dioxide, a compound which selectively inhibits silicon incorporation in diatoms, was added to biologically inert acrylamide gel, and coated on microscope slides. These slides were immersed about 50 cm below the surface of three temperate lakes in different parts of the world. Periphyton succession in the presence of germanium differed from that on germanium-free controls. The selective inhibition of diatoms resulted in significantly lower densities of some non-silicious species while other algae increased their density above that of control slides. Germanium treated slides had significantly lower standing crop and species diversity than control slides. Results are discussed in relation to general principles governing community structure.
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