Factors Affecting Development of a Summer, Cyanophyta-Dominated Phytoplankton Community in a Mainstem Tennessee River Reservoir

摘要

Phytoplankton dynamics and related environmental factors were studied for thirty-two consecutive weeks to describe development of a Cyanophyta-dominated phytoplankton community in a mainstem Tennessee River reservoir. Interaction of several factors elicited strong phytoplankton response during the study and appeared as major events. These factors included rate of temperature change, solar radiation, rainfall, reservoir flow, retention time, net discharge, turbidity, nutrient concentrations, nitrogen/phosphorus ratios, and zooplankton abundance. Other factors were important over the entire study, correlating strongly with abundance of various algal taxa. These factors included net discharge, temperature, solar radiation, orthophosphate, total phosphorus, nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, nitrogen/phosphorus ratios, copepod abundance, and water replacement. Cyanophyta population dynamics were more influenced by specific combinations of environmental events than by long-term relationships with onw or more environmental factors. (ERA citation 11:032789)