| | |
Summary: Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology of Fluvial Systems (Proceedings of a symposium held in
Dundee, UK, July 2006). IAHS Publ. 306, 2006. 1
Pacific salmon and sediment flocculation: nutrient
cycling and intergravel habitat quality
JOHN F. REX1
& ELLEN L. PETTICREW2
1 University of Northern British Columbia, Geography Department, 3333 University Way,
Prince George, British Columbia V2N 4Z9, Canada
rex@unbc.ca
2 University of Plymouth, School of Geography, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
Abstract Salmon derived sediment flocs form during post-spawning die-off
when organic matter from salmon carcasses combines with fine inorganic
suspended sediments. These flocs deliver salmon derived nutrients to the
stream bed where they enter the stream's trophic network. To assess the
influence of these mixed origin sediments on salmon stream benthic habitat, a
re-circulating flume was constructed and seeded with gravel of a similar size
to that from regional natal salmon streams. Flume conditions for water depth,
velocity, and suspended sediment were also similar to regional natal salmon
streams. Following the addition of salmon organic matter, intergravel habitat
quality was observed to change in three ways: (i) the proportion of silts
|
