The relationship between periphyton, flow and nutrients in foothill rivers of the south-western Cape, South Africa

Includes bibliographical references.This thesis examines spatial and temporal patterns in periphyton community composition and biomass and the environmental factors responsible for shaping these communities in south-western Cape rivers. The study focused on two prennial foothill rivers in the south-western Cape: the Berg River, which is oligotrophic but has a large dam (The Berg Dam) situated in its upper reaches; and the Molenaars River, which has a natural flow regime but is moderately enriched by trout farm effluent. Two site on the Berg River (one upstream and one downstream of the Berg Dam) and two on the Molenaars River (one upstream and one downstream of the Du Toit's Kloof trout farm) were used to study temporal dynamics in periphyton communities over a 21-month period between September 2007 and May 2009