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Aquatic plant nutrients, moss phosphatase activities and tissue composition in four upland streams in northern England

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Sue Haile

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Abstract

A study was made of the water chemistry, tissue nutrients and surface phosphatase activities of the 2-cm apices of three mosses in four upland streams in northern England, UK. This was part of a project to optimize methods for assessing nutrient fractions in environments with highly variable water chemistry. Aqueous N and P fractions showed the greatest variability followed by moss phosphatase activities, with nutrient composition of the shoot apices the least variable. There was no consistent pattern as to which aqueous N or P fraction was the most variable. The ratio between total inorganic N and total filtrable P ranged over three orders of magnitude in some streams. The interrelations between tissue N and P concentrations, tissue N:P ratio, phosphatase activities and aqueous variables showed:. (1)Significant +ve relationship between tissue N and aqueous NO3-N in some populations, but not between tissue P and aqueous P concentration;(2)Significant +ve relationships between phosphatase activities and aqueous organic N, but none with aqueous organic P;(3)Significant +ve relationships between phosphodiesterase:phosphomonoesterase activities and aqueous organic N;(4)Significant -ve relationships between phosphatase activities and tissue P concentration;(5)Significant +ve relationships between phosphatase activities and tissue N:P. Both types of biological measurement are valuable for monitoring ambient nutrients in upland streams. Neither is clearly better than the other, so both should be included in surveys. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Ellwood NTW, Haile SM, Whitton BA

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Hydrology

Year: 2008

Volume: 350

Issue: 3-4

Pages: 246-260

Print publication date: 28/02/2008

ISSN (print): 0022-1694

ISSN (electronic):

Publisher: Elsevier BV

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.10.038

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.10.038

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