The ecology of a land drainage channel—I. Oxygen balance

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

In shallow land drainage channels day-time solar heating during the summer produced vertical temperature and density gradients. These facilitated the development of marked gradients of dissolved oxygen, with maximum sub-surface values exceeding 300% air saturation and deoxygenated water near the sediments. Night-time cooling promoted mixing of the water column. Rates of community photosynthesis and respiration, calculated from dissolved oxygen distributions by two methods, were high.