Abstract
THE difficult problem of assaying biomass and rates of colonization by periphyton in fresh and saline waters has been recognized for many years. The most common method used in these investigations has involved the measurement of rates of colonization by periphyton on artificial substrata. The literature on this subject has recently been reviewed by Cooke1, Sládečková2, and myself3. Very few of these investigations are concerned with measurements of photosynthetic rates of algal periphyton under natural conditions. A method for measuring productivity of periphyton in situ in lakes and ponds would be useful for comparative studies of the relative importance of each of the photosynthetic producer components, that is, phytoplankton, periphyton, and macrophytos.
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References
Cooke, W. B., Bot. Rev., 22, 613 (1956).
Sládeˇková, A., Bot. Rev., 28, 287 (1962).
Wetzel, R. G., Int. Rev. ges. Hydrobiol. (in the press).
Wetzel, R. G., Verh. intern. Ver. Limnol., 15 (in the press).
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Richards, F. A., with Thompson, T. G., J. Mar. Res., 11, 156 (1952).
Reviewed at length by Strickland, J. D. H., Bull. Fish. Res. Board Canada, 122 (1960).
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WETZEL, R. Primary Productivity of Periphyton. Nature 197, 1026–1027 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/1971026b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1971026b0
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