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Factors regulating the spatial and temporal distribution of Cladophora and Ulothrix in the Laurentian Great Lakes

  • Conference paper
Periphyton of Freshwater Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 17))

Abstract

The attached filamentous green algae Ulothrix zonata and Cladophora glomerata are important members of the periphyton community in the rocky littoral zone of the Laurentian Great Lakes. When these algae occur together, Ulothrix occupies the splash zone and Cladophora grows in deeper water. The two algae show definite seasonal patterns of abundance as well as distinct geographic distributions within the Great Lakes basin. We examined the role of light, temperature, and phosphorus supply in regulating the geographic, seasonal, and spatial distribution of these two filamentous algae. Phosphorus availability plays a major role in determining the geographic distribution of attached algae in the Great Lakes. Light intensity, acting through the balance between photosynthesis and respiration, appears to have a significant effect upon the pattern of vertical zonation. Optimum photosynthesis in Ulothrix occurs at high light levels (1200 µE/m2 · sec), while the optimum for Cladophora lies at 300 µE/m2 · sec. Seasonal patterns of abundance in Ulothrix and Cladophora are consistent with their respective temperature optima for photosynthesis. It is suggested, however, that the timing and extent of reproduction in Ulothrix are also of importance in determining the shift in dominance of the periphyton community from Ulothrix to Cladophora.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA

    Martin T. Auer

  2. Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    James M. Graham, Linda E. Graham & James A. Kranzfelder

Authors
  1. Martin T. Auer
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  2. James M. Graham
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  3. Linda E. Graham
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  4. James A. Kranzfelder
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Robert G. Wetzel

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© 1983 Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague

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Auer, M.T., Graham, J.M., Graham, L.E., Kranzfelder, J.A. (1983). Factors regulating the spatial and temporal distribution of Cladophora and Ulothrix in the Laurentian Great Lakes. In: Wetzel, R.G. (eds) Periphyton of Freshwater Ecosystems. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7293-3_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7293-3_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-7295-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-7293-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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