Effect of periphyton biomass on hydraulic characteristics and nutrient cycling in streams

Mulholland, Patrick J.; Steinman, Alan D.; Marzolf, Erich R.; Hart, Deborah R.; Jiang, Jiang

doi:10.1007/bf00326088

Cited by 131 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The results of such exploratory work should stimulate more controlled experiments in replicated flow through channels to test for the potential synergistic effects of water transient storage and temperature (e.g. Mulholland et al, 1994;Battin et al, 2003;Bottacin-Busolin et al, 2009). This study concentrated on oxygenic metabolism; however other types of metabolic pathways may be favoured under higher temperature conditions.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, surface abiotic and biotic structure such as large pools, aquatic patches of macrophytes and biofilm development may equally generate hydrological retention (e.g. Bencala and Walters, 1983;Mulholland et al, 1994;Sand-Jensen and Mebus, 1996). Experimental studies have been especially successful in demonstrating changes in nutrient uptake with the development or manipulation of biotic structures such as biofilm and patches of aquatic macrophytes Battin et al, 2003;Ensign and Doyle, 2005;Bottacin-Busolin et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stream hydraulics and temperature determine the metabolism of geothermal Icelandic streams

Demars

Manson

Ólafsson

et al. 2011

Knowl. Managt. Aquatic Ecosyst.

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Key-words:river, ecosystem functioning, hydrogeomorphology, ecosystem servicesStream ecosystem metabolism plays a critical role in planetary biogeochemical cycling. Stream benthic habitat complexity and the available surface area for microbes relative to the free-flowing water volume are thought to be important determinants of ecosystem metabolism. Unfortunately, the engineered deepening and straightening of streams for drainage purposes could compromise stream natural services. Stream channel complexity may be quantitatively expressed with hydraulic parameters such as water transient storage, storage residence time, and water spiralling length. The temperature dependence of whole stream ecosystem respiration (ER), gross primary productivity (GPP) and net ecosystem production (NEP = GPP−ER) has recently been evaluated with a "natural experiment" in Icelandic geothermal streams along a 5−25• C temperature gradient. There remained, however, a substantial amount of unexplained variability in the statistical models, which may be explained by hydraulic parameters found to be unrelated to temperature. We also specifically tested the additional and predicted synergistic effects of water transient storage and temperature on ER, using novel, more accurate, methods. Both ER and GPP were highly related to water transient storage (or water spiralling length) but not to the storage residence time. While there was an additional effect of water transient storage and temperature on ER (r 2 = 0.57; P = 0.015), GPP was more related to water transient storage than temperature. The predicted synergistic effect could not be confirmed, most likely due to data limitation. Our interpretation, based on causal statistical modelling, is that the metabolic balance of streams (NEP) was primarily determined by the temperature dependence of respiration. Further field and experimental work is required to test the predicted synergistic effect on ER. Meanwhile, since higher metabolic activities allow for higher pollutant degradation or uptake, river restoration and management should promote habitat diversity and complexity (hyporheic zone, macrophyte patches, substrate heterogeneity), especially for microbial activity. Le métabolisme des écosystèmes aquatiques fluviaux joue un rôle critique dans les cycles biogéochimiques planétaires. La complexité des habitats benthiques et l'aire disponible pour les microbes par rapport au volume d'eau qui s'écoule sont considérées comme des facteurs importants pour le métabolisme de l'éco-système. Malheureusement, le creusement et l'alignement des cours d'eau pour le drainage des terres pourraient compromettre les services naturels fournis par les cours d'eau. Cette complexité peut être exprimée quantitativement avec des paramètres hydrauliques tels que le stokage transitoire de l'eau dans le lit de la rivière, la durée de résidence du stockage transitoire, et la longueur du flux en hélice (ou spirale) de l'eau (distance moyenne parcourue par une molécule d'eau dans la zone d'eau courante libre avan...

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Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stream hydraulics and temperature determine the metabolism of geothermal Icelandic streams

Demars

Manson

Ólafsson

et al. 2011

Knowl. Managt. Aquatic Ecosyst.

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“…to algal primary production (e.g. Mulholland et al 1994) or to bacterial turnover of organic matter (e.g. Fischer & Pusch 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of temperature increase on the grazing of planktonic bacteria by biofilm-dwelling consumers

Kathol¹,

Norf²,

Arndt³

et al. 2009

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

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Biofilms, the complex microbial communities associated with surfaces, can play an important role in the flux of matter in running waters. In addition to bacteria and algae, heterotrophic protists and small metazoans can also occur in high abundances in biofilms. By grazing on planktonic prey, biofilm-dwelling grazers can act as a trophic link between planktonic and benthic food webs, parallel to filter-feeding benthic macroinvertebrates. Here we introduce a flow cell method for the quantification of grazing rates of semi-natural biofilms on suspended bacteria, parallel to microscopic biofilm community analysis. This technique was used to measure the temperature response of the grazing rates of complex biofilm communities (established in a bypass system to the River Rhine, Germany) on planktonic bacteria. Results showed that 14 d old biofilms (dominated by ciliates) clear planktonic bacteria at rates between 29 (in winter) and 99 l m -2 biofilm d -1 (in summer) at ambient temperature. These rates increased with test temperature, even at temperatures (> 30°C) at which the grazing rates of filter-feeding macrofauna in moderate climates are negatively influenced. The acclimation temperatures under which the biofilm developed can have a significant effect on community clearance rates, largely due to a temperature effect on the abundance and structure of the grazer community, whereas no indication of an acclimation effect on individual grazing rates could be found. In the function of bentho-pelagic couplers, biofilm-dwelling consumer communities can react to temperature changes substantially faster than macrofaunal filter feeders.

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“…The ability of benthic microbial mats, periphyton, and macrophytes to slow and distort near-bed velocity profiles has been addressed in several temperate stream settings (Kim et al 1990;Sand-Jensen and Mebus 1996;Wilcock et al 1999;Dodds and Biggs 2002) and laboratory settings (Mulholland 1994;Nikora et al 2002). In particular, Kim et al (1992), Mulholland et al (1994), and Wilcock et al (1999) suggest that benthic biota provide a transient storage zone with characteristics distinct from main channel stream flow.…”

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confidence: 99%

Denitrification and hydrologic transient storage in a glacial meltwater stream, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Gooseff

McKnight

Runkel

et al. 2004

Limnology & Oceanography

108

116

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In extreme environments, retention of nutrients within stream ecosystems contributes to the persistence of aquatic biota and continuity of ecosystem function. In the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, many glacial meltwater streams flow for only 5-12 weeks a year and yet support extensive benthic microbial communities. We investigated NO 3 Ϫ uptake and denitrification in Green Creek by analyzing small-scale microbial mat dynamics in mesocosms and reach-scale nutrient cycling in two whole-stream NO 3 Ϫ enrichment experiments. Nitrate uptake results indicated that microbial mats were nitrogen (N)-limited, with NO 3 Ϫ uptake rates as high as 16 nmol N cm Ϫ2 h Ϫ1. Denitrification potentials associated with microbial mats were also as high as 16 nmol N cm Ϫ2 h Ϫ1. During two whole-stream NO 3 Ϫ -enrichment experiments, a simultaneous pulse of NO 2 Ϫ was observed in the stream water. The one-dimensional solute transport model with inflow and storage was modified to simulate two storage zones: one to account for short time scale hydrologic exchange of stream water into and out of the benthic microbial mat, the other to account for longer time scale hydrologic exchange with the hyporheic zone. Simulations indicate that injected NO 3 Ϫ was removed both in the microbial mat and in the hyporheic zone and that as much as 20% of the NO 3 Ϫ that entered the microbial mat and hyporheic zone was transformed to NO 2 Ϫ by dissimilatory reduction. Because of the rapid hydrologic exchange in microbial mats, it is likely that denitrification is limited either by biotic assimilation, reductase limitation, or transport limitation (reduced NO 2 Ϫ is transported away from reducing microbes).Dry valley glacial meltwater streams are simple physical systems, ideal for studying stream-hyporheic biogeochemical interactions. There is no contribution to stream flow from precipitation (either directly or from snowmelt), and there are no hillslope additions of water or solutes. Further, the hyporheic zones are well defined, bounded at depths of 0.4 to 0.7 m by permafrost, extending several meters from stream edges . In these streams, hyporheic zone exchange and biotic assimilation are important controls on biogeochemical cycling. At the mineral grain scale, Maurice et al. (2002) recently documented weathering processes occurring in the hyporheic zone of a dry valley stream at rates higher than typically found in temperate watersheds, as well as the presence of denitrifying bacteria. Similarly, at the reach scale, Gooseff et al. (2002) have

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Effect of periphyton biomass on hydraulic characteristics and nutrient cycling in streams

Cited by 131 publications

References 30 publications

Stream hydraulics and temperature determine the metabolism of geothermal Icelandic streams

Stream hydraulics and temperature determine the metabolism of geothermal Icelandic streams

Effects of temperature increase on the grazing of planktonic bacteria by biofilm-dwelling consumers

Denitrification and hydrologic transient storage in a glacial meltwater stream, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

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