Do Nutrients Limit Algal Periphyton in Small Blackwater Coastal Plain Streams?
In this study, we examined the potential for nutrient limitation of algal periphyton biomass in blackwater streams draining the Georgia coastal plain. Previous studies investigated nutrient limitation of planktonic algae in large blackwater rivers but virtually no scientific information existed regarding how algal periphyton respond to nutrients under different light conditions in smaller, low-flow streams. Our objective was to determine if nutrients and/or light are factors limiting algal standing crop in streams draining a range of different land use types, from relatively undisturbed forest/wetland basins to highly disturbed agricultural sites. We hypothesized that nutrient concentrations and light levels in sometimes heavily shaded coastal plain streams would not support nuisance algal biomass (chlorophyll a values between 100 and 200 mg m-2; Horner et al., 1983; Welch et al., 1988) even across different land uses. Methods We selected nine blackwater stream sites located within the
