Skip to main content
Kent State University Home

Open Access Kent State (OAKS)

  • About
    • About
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Rights and Reuse
  • Browse
    • Authors
    • Collections
    • Communities
    • Subjects
  • Login

Assessing Biofilm Diatom Community Response to Nutrients

  1. Open Access Kent State
  2. Conferences & Events
  3. Undergraduate Research Symposium
  4. 2020 - Kent State University Undergraduate Symposium on Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity
  5. Biology/Ecology
  6. Assessing Biofilm Diatom Community Response to Nutrients
File
Author(s)
  • Alyssa M. Skilton Senior, Environmental and Conservation Biology (Conservation Biology)
  • Jordyn T Stoll Graduate Student, Biology
Abstract
Anthropogenic changes to the environment impact aquatic ecosystems by modifying resource availability, which could influence community composition and function. Studies suggest a positive relationship between diversity and ecosystem functioning, with more diverse systems being more resilient. Some individuals are particularly sensitive to nutrient shifts in the environment. Organisms that indicate change in the environment are valuable because they shed light on humans’ impact on the ecosystem. Diatoms are useful bioindicators of water quality, as they respond to environmental conditions like nutrient inputs.To test the effect of nutrient availability on diatom community composition, we deployed nutrient diffusing substrate at four stream sites before and after nutrient rich tributaries. We used seven nutrient treatments including macronutrients phosphorus and nitrogen, along with micronutrients molybdenum and zinc with a control at each of the four sites. We expect the phosphorus treatments to select for fast growing taxa, and for the magnitude of this effect to be less at sites with higher background nutrient concentrations. Preliminary results indicate that tributaries upstream and downstream of nutrient rich tributaries have unique algal communities. Results from this experiment will provide insight into how stream communities respond to anthropogenic influences.
Format
Conference Proceeding
Contributor(s)
Faculty Mentor
David Costello
Modified Abstract

Anthropogenic changes to the environment impact aquatic ecosystems by modifying the resource availability, which could influence community composition and function. Organisms that indicate change in the environment are valuable because they shed light on humans’ impact on the ecosystem. Diatoms are useful bioindicators of water quality as they respond to environmental conditions like nutrient inputs.To test the effect of nutrient availability on diatom community composition, we deployed nutrient diffusing substrate at four stream sites before and after nutrient rich tributaries. We expect the phosphorus treatments to select for fast growing taxa, and for the magnitude of this effect to be less at sites with higher background nutrient concentrations. Results from this experiment will provide insight into how stream communities respond to anthropogenic influences.

Download full text 978.79KB
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Email
Open Access Kent State
University Libraries

Street Address

1125 Risman Dr.
Kent, OH 44242

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 5190
Kent, OH 44242-0001

Contact Us

  • oaks [at] kent [dot] edu

Quick Links

  • About
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Rights and Reuse

Information

  • Accessibility
  • Annual Security Reports
  • Emergency Information
  • For Our Alumni
  • For the Media
  • Health Services
  • Jobs & Employment
  • May 4th, 50th Commemoration
  • Privacy Statement
  • Website Feedback
Kent State University Home
© 2021 Kent State University All rights reserved.