Production ecology of a sandy beach
In: Limnology and Oceanography. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography: Waco, Tex., etc. ISSN 0024-3590; e-ISSN 1939-5590, more
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Abstract |
The vertical distribution of pigments and organic matter and the yearly cycle of production in a sandy beach are described for positions at low water and to a sublittoral depth of 13 m. The chlorophyll and carbon content of the populations attached to the sand grains increases with increasing depth of overlying water. At low-water mark, viable diatom populations are found to 20 cm deep in the sand. The effects of wave action, however, keep these populations at a relatively low level so that the yearly primary production of the benthic flora is in the range 4-9 g C m-2. |
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