Periphyton standing crops on natural and artificial sustrates in a Flint Hills stream.

Abstract

Periphyton standing crops were studied to quantify seasonal levels in a Flint Hills headwater stream in Lyon County, Kansas, from November, 1989, to July, 1990. Samples were scraped from natural rock substrates, and data were compared to that of plexiglass microscope slides and pine highest values in late winter (4.184 mg cm-² on February 26) dowels. Ash-free-dry weight and chlorophylla were measured. Biomass data from rocks displayed a seasonal trend with and lowest values in summer (0.3028 mg cm-² on June 25). The significance of a visible trend was supported by ANOVA. Chlorophyll standing crops ranged from .0010 mg cm-² to.0415 mg cm-². A simple correlation was calculated between chlorophyll and biomass data (Y = .006479 + .004584 X; r² =.4425, sY*X = .0551 mg cm-² ). Predominant algal genera were identified, and quantified in one 499-cell count. Physicochemical conditions were monitored through the study. Nitrate-nitrogen and orthophosphate-phosphorus concentrations were highest through the winter and lowest ln spring and summer, and were consistently lower throughout the study than reported levels in area rivers and creeks. Current flow rates were between 0.20 m³ min-I and 0.59 m³ min-I, inclusively. Water temperatures ranged from 0ºC to 28ºC.