Responses of periphyton to changes in current velocity, suspended sediment and phosphorus concentration

Abstract

SUMMARY. Research was performed in laboratory streams to evaluate periphytic biomass accrual, export, and community composition over a range of limiting nutrient (phosphorus) concentrations with variable velocity, and suspended sediment addition, in comparison to constant velocity and no suspended sediment. In fixed‐velocity treatments, velocity increase to 60 cm s−1 significantly enhanced biomass accrual, but further increase resulted in substantial biomass reduction. Average biomass loss rates did not change significantly over a velocity range of 10–80 cm s−1. Diatoms were favoured at relatively high velocities and low phosphorus concentrations, whereas the blue‐green Phormidium tended to dominate at higher SRP concentrations and the green Mougeotia seemed to prefer lower velocities. Sudden increases in velocity raised instantaneous loss rates by an order of magnitude or more, but these high rates persisted only briefly. As a result, marked biomass reductions were not apparent a day after the velocity change. Dominance change from filamentous green or blue‐green to diatoms immediately after the increase was reversed within 2 days. Loss rate increases due to solids addition were much smaller than those accompanying velocity increase, but simultaneous velocity elevation and solids addition produced instantaneous loss rates approximately double those with velocity increase alone. The experiments demonstrated that an elevation in velocity, above that to which algae were accustomed, led to increased loss rates and temporarily reduced biomass. However, recolonization and growth after biomass reduction were apparently rapid. Substantial export of periphyton following solids addition required erosion of the protective boundary layer accompanied by a velocity increase. These results arc applicable to understanding the response of lotic periphytic algae to elevated, turbid storm discharges and similar runoff or high‐flow events. Areal uptake rates of P by algae growing in the laboratory streams increased with soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentration, up to approximately 15 μg I−1 in overlying water. They also increased above 35 cm s −1. Overall, uptake rate seemed to vary inversely with biomass. The ralio of areal uptake rate/biomass was significantly less where mean biomass was 411±6 mg chl a m−2 compared to 223±17 mg chl a m−2. The results suggested that although nutrient uptake is primarily a surface phenomenon, diffusion to interior cells can also determine the responses of attached communities. Both diffusion and uptake rate were stimulated by increasing nutrient concentration and velocity up to certain levels, but became limited by biofilm thickness and scouring.