Effects of acidification on aquatic primary producers and decomposers

Conference · Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6124022

Hendrey, G R

Acidification of nutrient-poor, clearwater lakes and streams is associated with a variety of changes in communities of aquatic organisms. While acidification may eliminate fish, it does not kill the lake. Some species become very abundant in acidified waters and the balance among organisms, which provide stability to the aquatic ecosystem, is lost. This is reflected in accumulations of algae and dead plant litter. While these kinds of changes are observed, studies which quantitatively link the effects of acidification at one ecological level to changes in some other level are lacking. One can only surmise that such links are significant to ecosystem structure and functioning.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6124022
• Report Number(s): BNL-29793; CONF-810843-1; ON: DE81025874
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACIDIFICATION
ALGAE
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMMUNITIES
DECOMPOSITION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FISHES
LAKES
PLANTS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES