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Presented at the NABS Annual meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2002
in Biogeochemistry
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEAVER PONDS IN CYCLING ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS.
R.L. Klotz. Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York College at Cortland, Cortland, NY 13045
Beaver alter free-flowing streams by building dams and creating ponds. The cycling of nutrients along streams is often enhanced in these ponds due to the accumulation of sediments with anaerobic zones. Phosphorus, generally considered to be the nutrient which controls the productivity of freshwater ecosystems, is often present as an organic form known as phytate which is unavailable to most organisms. However, certain microorganisms possess the enzyme phytase which can break down phytate and release available phosphorus. A method was developed to measure phytase activity by microorganisms in stream and beaver pond sediments. Results from streams studied in central New York state show for the first time that phytase activity can be significantly higher in beaver ponds than along free-flowing stream reaches. Microbial activity in beaver ponds can lead to the release of an available form of phosphorus which may increase stream productivity.
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