Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment (생태와환경)

The Korean Society of Limnology (한국수생태학회)
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In Situ Measurement of Diel Periodicity in Urea Decomposition in a Reed Zone of Lake Biwa, Japan

  • Tachibana, Junji (Department of Science, Osaka Prefectural Education Center) ;
  • Kondo, Kunio (Institute of Environmental Sciences) ;
  • Seike, Yasushi (Department of Material Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Shimane University) ;
  • Osamu, Mitamura (Limnological Laboratory, School of Environmental Science, University of Shiga Prefecture)
  • Published : 2005.04.30
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Abstract

Diel change in urea decomposition activity of epiphytic algae on Phragmites stems and phytoplankton in a shallow littoral reed zone in the south basin of Lake Biwa was investigated with an in situ technique using $^{14}C$-labelled urea. The daily rates of urea decomposition (sum of urea carbon incorporation rate and $CO_2$ liberation rate) by epiphytic and planktonic algae were calculated as 180 ${\mu}$ mole urea surface shoot area $m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ and 210 ${\mu}$ mole urea $m^{-3}\;day^{-1}$. The chlorophyll a specific urea decomposition rates of epiphytic and planktonic algae were 4.7 to 6.4 and 4.4 to 6.2 ${\mu}$ mole urea mg chl. $a^{-1}$ incubation $time^{-1}$ in daytime and 4.2 to 5.7 and 2.4 to 3.5 ${\mu}$ mole urea mg chl. $a^{-1}\;time^{-1}$ in nighttime, respectively. High values were obtained during 12:00 ${\sim}$ 18:00 and low values during 00:00 ${\sim}$ 06:00 for both epiphytic and planktonic algal communities. A clear diel periodicity in the urea decomposing activity of the planktonic algae was observed. The activity of the epiphytic algae, on the other hand, showed no destinctive variation during a day. The present results indicate that epiphytic algae are one of the significant urea decomposers in a reed zone, and that the diel patterns are quite difference between both algal communities.

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References

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