Date of Award:
5-1958
Document Type:
Dissertation
Degree Name:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department:
Watershed Sciences
Department name when degree awarded
Fishery Ecology
Committee
William F. Sigler
Abstract
Investigation of primary production in streams and rivers has lagged behind similar investigations in marine and lacustrine environments. Recently, however, Odum (1956) has demonstrated methods that allow the estimation of productivity of most moving waters. For reasons discussed later in this paper, Odum's method is not satisfactory for shallow, very rapid rivers as typified by Logan River. The present investigation then was primarily an exploration of a method possibly applicable to measurement of productivity in shallow rapid rivers.
Investigation of phases of the ecology and distribution of the main contributors to primary production, the benthic algae, was a necessary corollary to intelligent measurement of primary production in Logan River. A recent review of the knowledge of ecology of river algae (Blum, 1956) summarizes this topic.
Most quantitative investigations of river algae have been directly or indirectly concerned with indices of pollution rather than productivity (Jones, 1951) (Reese, 1937) (Patrick, 1949) (Butcher, 1932, 1940, 1945, and 1947). The growth of algae on slides has been a frequently used method of quantitative study, but it is difficult to relate values attained in this fashion to total productivity or standing crop. Statements concerning algal succession and seasonal variation based on counts of algae growing on glass slides in very rapid water appear questionable.
Checksum
308cbfa35457c903813aaaaade9f97e6
Recommended Citation
McConnell, William J., "Chlorophyll and Productivity in a Mountain River" (1958). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 5060.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/5060
Included in
Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .