Diel oxygen cycles in the Bow River: Relationships to Calgary's urban nutrient footprint and periphyton and macrophyte biomass
Date
2013-09-23
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Abstract
The City of Calgary discharges wastewater effluent from three wastewater treatment plants. Although nutrient inputs from effluent increase fish growth, increased productivity may be detrimental to fish populations by increasing primary producer biomass, which subsequently affects the magnitude of diel oxygen (O2) concentrations through photosynthesis and respiration. Overnight depressed O2 concentrations can negatively impact local fish populations.
Changes in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, periphyton and macrophyte biomass, δ15N isotopes and diel O2 cycles were measured along the Bow River during summer months when primary producer metabolism and water temperatures are highest. A strong urban footprint associated with wastewater effluent inputs was detected. Primary producer biomass is dominated by periphyton upstream, while macrophytes dominate the river beginning downstream of Calgary’s first effluent input. The transition from periphyton to macrophyte dominated communities leads to larger amplitude diel O2 cycles, suggesting macrophytes are the primary driver of larger diel O2 cycles.
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Ecology, Limnology
Citation
Chung, C. W. (2013). Diel oxygen cycles in the Bow River: Relationships to Calgary's urban nutrient footprint and periphyton and macrophyte biomass (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25703