Flow, nutrients, and light availability influence Neotropical epilithon biomass and stoichiometry

Abstract

AbstractLight, nutrient availability, and flow are strong factors controlling the elemental composition and biomass of epilithon in temperate stream ecosystems. However, comparatively little is known about these relationships in tropical streams. We investigated how gradients of light and nutrient availability, seasonality, and habitat influenced epilithon biomass, chlorophyll a, and nutrient ratios in montane streams of Trinidad, West Indies. We sampled 4 focal tributaries of a single river, 2 of which had canopies experimentally thinned, every other month over a 2-y period to observe temporal dynamics and light effects on epilithon. We also sampled 18 sites across Trinidad’s Northern Range Mountains once each in a wet and dry season to examine the effects of naturally occurring differences in light and dissolved nutrient availability on epilithic characteristics. We found greater chlorophyll a concentrations in habitats with greater light availability, but the effect of light on epilithon stoichiometry ...