Field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of atmospheric exposure on the chlorophyll a content, biomass and gross primary productivity (GPP) of littoral epilithon in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona. The chlorophyll a content of the epilithon was much more sensitive to exposure than the biomass. The epilithon was rapidly bleached during summer daytime exposures, but algal filaments remained attached for several weeks after reinundation. The percentage of initial chlorophyll a remaining after one day of exposure was not different from the percentage remaining after two days of exposure. However, significant reductions in chlorophyll a content were detected for daytime exposures as short as six hours. Overall, there were close inverse relationships (r2 > 0.73) between the time exposed or cumulative solar radiation (400-700 nm) and the percentage of initial chlorophyll a remaining after reinundation. The GPP of Cladophora glomerata-dominated epilithon from the permanently inundated channel was 10 times higher than the GPP of epilithon from the zone of daily water level fluctuation. Experimental atmospheric exposure of the epilithon from each zone reduced the GPP, but not the assimilation ratio (GPP per unit of chlorophyll a) of the epilithon.The Glen Canyon epilithon has low resistance to exposure disturbances, and recolonization is slow under hydropower peaking flow regimes. Cladophora glomerata has an important structural role in Glen Canyon, the disruption of which is likely to precipitate effects at higher trophic levels.

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