Original paper
The diel oxygen cycle in three subalpine Swiss streams
Livingstone, David M.
Archiv für Hydrobiologie Volume 120 Number 4 (1991), p. 457 - 479
38 references
published: Feb 21, 1991
DOI: 10.1127/archiv-hydrobiol/120/1991/457
ArtNo. ESP141012004004, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Diel variations in the oxygen concentrations of three subalpine Swiss streams are explained in terms of reaeration, production and consumption, based on a model employing polynomial approximations over parts of the diel curve. This approach allows useful information on the oxygen regime to be obtained without the necessity of modelling all parameters over the full diel cycle. Diel curves seen in the light of the model yield much information about the relative importance of biological and physical processes occurring in the streams. During the night the oxygen deficit tends toward, and often attains, an equilibrium deficit, which is directly related to the relative importance of community respiration and reaeration. The effect of meltwater on the oxygen regime is discussed and shown to be significant, suggesting that individual meteorological events can influence the oxygen regime of a stream so strongly that any seasonal variation will be hidden. A method is given to compute the daily production/ consumption ratio in streams, taking account of temperature effects.
Keywords
reaeration • oxygen regime • meltwater • polynomial approximations • Swiss streams