Seasonal Periodicity of Periphytic Algae in Relation to Water Quality in Three Florida Experimental Ponds

Periphytic algae biomass, periphyton taxonomic composition and water quality were monitored from October, 1978 through October, 1979 in three experimental ponds on the University of Central Florida campus, Orlando, Florida. Differences in the abundance and seasonal periodicity of phytoplankton in the ponds presumably arose from intrinsic differences in the nature of the pond sediments. Ceramic tile and pressboard wood artificial substrates were sampled at two-month intervals to provide estimates of periphyton biomass and productivity; there was no significant difference in algal biomass on wood and tile substrates. Algal productivity on continuous-immersion (cumulative) substrates which supported a large accumulation of periphyton was substantially lower than productivity on uncolonized substrates immersed during the same period. thus indicated the existence of a carrying capacity for the periphyton community. Turbidity, which was largely determined by phytoplankton abundance, was significantly higher in Pond 2 (7.50 FTU) than in Ponds 1 and 3 (2.60 and 2.53 FTU, respectively) and resulted in reduced light penetration and development of a heterotrophic periphyton community in Pond 2. The algal flora of Pond 2 was dominated by small conditions, whereas Ponds 1 and 3 possessed periphyton communities dominated by large, filamentous green algae indicative of clean water