Resistance and resilience of periphyton communities as a function of biomass and physiological state.

Abstract

Periphyton communities were grown under a gradient of resource regimes to obtain a gradient of mat thicknesses and physiological states. All communities were subjected to a simulated flood event to determine if resistance and resilience are inversely related. Resistance was measured as a lack of a significant decrease between pre-disturbance samples and post-disturbance samples of ash free dry mass (AFDM) and chlorophyll a, both measures of biomass. Resilience was measured as a significant increase in biomass (AFDM and chlorophyll a) between the first post-disturbance sampling day and the second post-disturbance sampling day. Trends were found that indicate high nutrient concentrations influence low resistance and high resilience, and low nutrient concentrations influence high resistance and low resilience.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/54493/1/2931.pdfDescription of 2931.pdf : Access restricted to on-site users at the U-M Biological Station