Changes in the taxonomic composition, chlorophyll a concentration, dry weight, percentage organic carbon and nitrogen and several indices of diversity, including "Margalef's index" were followed during the development of phytobenthonic communities on glass slides. These data suggest that, in this environment, the algal community resembles the nearby natural community after 4 weeks. The taxonomic development can be divided into two phases. During the first 2 weeks the phytocoenosis is dominated by a rather diverse and variable diatom assemblage. Later Cyanophyta dominate. The diversity decreases during colonization as reflected by all indices considered.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.