Abstract
Much controversy has evolved in recent times over the relationships between attached algal and other microfloral populations and communities and the substrata upon which they grow. A critical review of the multitude of types of substrata and what is known about the interdependency of the microflora on the substrata permits several generalizations. (1) Nearly all substrata are highly dynamic in their physical characteristics and chemical contributions to attached microflora. (2) Functional interactions between substrata and attached microflora are greatly influenced by water turbulence both in lakes as well as streams. (3) Adaptations of epipelic algae and advantages of steep nutrient gradients towards the algae and overlying water compensate for the disadvantages of living on unstable organic-rich sediments in close proximity to toxic endproducts of anaerobic metabolism. (4) The many physical disadvantages of epiphytic algae associated with a growing, metabolically-demanding macrophytic substratum are greatly outweighed by the advantages gained in access to required physical (particularly light) and chemical factors. Each of these advantages and disadvantages is discussed in relation to existing knowledge and dogma. It is concluded that some contemporary generalizations are premature and misleading in relation to variable and complex reciprocal metabolic interactions existing between attached algae and substrata. Much of the incongruous information emanates from the lack of application of essential metabolic experimentation at the micro-level of investigation of attached communities and from the poor understanding of metabolism in associated substrata.
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Wetzel, R.G. (1983). Attached algal-substrata interactions: fact or myth, and when and how?. In: Wetzel, R.G. (eds) Periphyton of Freshwater Ecosystems. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7293-3_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7293-3_28
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