Abstract
ABSTRACT: Artificial streams can assist in assessing the potential impact of pollutants on the structure and function of aquatic communities. While most artificial streams are constructed within a controlled environment or are maintained by recirculating water, we constructed a series of artificial streams along a river bank using river water on a once through basis. This system was used to develop and test methods for structural and functional analyses of Aufwuchs communities. Only the flow rate and stream depth were controlled while individual streams were perturbed to obtain communities of altered ecological condition. This experimental system provided a relatively inexpensive series of treated and untreated streams which allowed an evaluation and comparison of methods using communities under various stressed and nonstressed conditions. Without the stabilizing effects of a controlled atmosphere or recirculating water, our approach demonstrated a degree of variability which approached that of the river. We inferred that the Aufwuchs community present in the artificial streams maintained a high degree of structural complexity and functional dynamism, providing a strong test of our methods and an opportunity to examine current ecological theory.
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