Carbon‐14 assimilation, chlorophyll, and particulate organic matter in steady state systems at Lake Tahoe1

Abstract

Eight large outdoor tanks (m8,OOO liters) were brought to a steady state algal population by the constant addition of Lake Tahoe water alone or c~mbincd with 0.1 and 1.0% additions of secondary or tertiary sewage effluents.'"C assimilation rates and chlorophyll concentrations were related to growth rate and limiting nutrient. This result would be cxpcctcd from the kinetics of a steady state ( chemostat) system. Radioactive carbon fixation values underestimated the productivity of the phytoplankton as measured by the weight of the particulate organic matter produced per residence time. '"C assimilation rates were highly correlated with algal chlorophyll concentration but poorly correlated with particulatc organic matter concentration in the tanks at steady state.