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Water chemistry and periphyton in an alpine wetland

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Abstract

Remote high elevation sites are thought to be good sites to monitor global change and anthropogenic effects on ecosystems. This study was conducted during 1987–1990 in a high elevation wetland (3593 m) located in the Green Lakes Valley, Front Range, Colorado (USA). Salix spp. was the dominant riparian species in this 2 ha. wetland. Small shallow pools (<0.5 m depth) constituted a water area of 236 m3. The major source of water during the study period was snowmelt. The wetland had a well defined outlet and inlet, although an undetermined amount of water entered as groundwater from the snow patch above. Outlet discharge was 424–460 m3 during the month of July and declined thereafter as water input from the snowpatch declined. Inlet discharge was 67% of outlet discharge. Water temperatures in the outlet were always less than 6.8°C, pH 6.0–6.3, and mean conductivity 30.8 µS cm−1. Both NO sup−inf3 and SO sup−2inf4 were higher in the inlet thanin the outlet. Dominant cations in the inlet and outlet waters were Ca+2 ≫ Mg+2 > K+ + Na+; dominant anions were SO sup−2inf4 ≫ HCO sup−inf3 > NO sup−inf3 ≫ Cl−. Nutrient limitation by P was demonstrated once using nutrient diffusing substrata. No limitation could be shown for NO sup−inf3 , HCO sup−inf3 , or Fe+EDTA. Slow colonization rates of periphyton on tiles were attributed to low temperatures and/or ultraviolet radiation. However, interannual differences in biomass on tiles were as much as 300% after 35 days. A minimum of 16–54 samples would be needed to detect a significant interannual change in biomass on tiles after 35 days assuming that the extreme case for periphyton patchiness. Global climate change is likely to affect discharge and water temperature in this wetland which hill have direct and indirect affects on population dynamics and ecosystem function.

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  1. Zoology Department, Oklahoma State University, 74078, Stillwater, OK, USA

    Dale Toetz

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Toetz, D. Water chemistry and periphyton in an alpine wetland. Hydrobiologia 312, 93–105 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020765

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