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STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITY OF THE KANSAS RIVER
Schmidt, Sarah J.
Schmidt, Sarah J.
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Abstract
Relatively little work has been done regarding the structure of river phytoplankton communities and how these communities differ from those of lakes. The Kansas River is a prairie river with sandy substrate and a highly variable, thunderstorm driven hydrograph. During times of high flow, it functions as a single channel. However, low flow creates complex habitats, with some portions of the river having a single channel, some with point bars, and others braided with backwaters and side channels. This study examined the effect of these habitats on both the structure and function (primary production) of the Kansas River phytoplankton community. Algal samples were collected from backwater, side channel, and main channel sites during 2007 and 2009. Site did not have a significant effect on the number of cells, total biovolume, or the diversity of the phytoplankton community, but date was significant. Green algae and diatoms were the dominant algal groups and followed a seasonal successional pattern similar to that of other rivers in the United States. The high ratio of centric to pennate diatoms was also similar to that found in other rivers. Date was also significant for gross primary production at the lateral sites and net primary production at the longitudinal sites. Phytoplankton community structure and function was similar across all habitat types during these studies. However, the study years had many thunderstorm events, and sites were often reconnected between sampling periods. Additional studies are needed during years with low flow and base flow conditions to determine whether these conditions affect the structure and function of the phytoplankton community.
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Date
2015-08-31
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University of Kansas
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Keywords
Ecology, Limnology, Great Plains, phytoplankton, prairie rivers