Input and storage of benthic detritus in an Alaskan subarctic stream

摘要

Allochthonous leaf litter input and storage of benthic detritus were measured in Monument Creek, a second-order interior Alaskan stream. Litter input was very low, totaling 62.5 g ash-free dry weight (AFDW). m-2·y-2in 1980. Peak input coincided with autumnal leaf fall. Benthic detritus storage was similarly low. CPOM (coarse particulate organic matter,>1 mm) ranged from 2.8 to 28.9 g AFDW·m-2, peaking in mid-September. MPOM (medium particulate organic matter, 250 μm-1 mm) ranged from 3.7 to 10.9 g AFDW·m-2, peaking in May. SPOM (small particulate organic matter, 80–250 μm) ranged from 2.0 to 9.0 g AFDW·m-2and also peaked in May. Compared to streams in temperate regions, Monument Creek is receiving and storing less energy from the surrounding