Responses of epibenthic algal assemblages to water abstraction in Hong Kong streams

• Published in: Hydrobiologia Vol. 703; no. 1; pp. 225 - 237
• Main Authors: Tang, Tao, Niu, Sophia Qian, Dudgeon, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.02.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Achnanthes; Algae; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Bacillariophyceae; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Calothrix; Chamaesiphon; Cocconeis; Creeks & streams; Downstream; Dry season; Ecology; Eunotia; Fresh water ecosystems; Freshwater; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Life Sciences; Low flow; Phosphates; Plant cytology, morphology, systematics, chorology and evolution; Primary Research Paper; Rainy season; Seasons; Streams; Synecology; Thallophyta; Water treatment; Zoology; Hong Kong; Asia; China; Hong Kong China; China, People's Rep., Hong Kong; Diatoms; Environmental flow allocations; Morphological guilds; Flow reduction; Hydro–ecological relationship; Hierarchical partitioning; Algae; Tropical zone; Guild; Freshwater environment; Heterokontophyta; Aquatic environment; Bacillariophyta; Hydro-ecological relationship; Morphology; Stream; Alga; Epibenthos; Community

We studied the effects of flow reduction on epibenthic algal assemblages by comparing up- and down-stream reaches of ten Hong Kong streams subject to different degrees of water abstraction during 2007–2008. Downstream discharge declined by 71 and 54% during the wet and dry seasons, respectively. Alg...