ISSN: 1521-9429 Print

ISSN: 1940-4328 Online

	You can order a single issue or an individual article, as well as view the table of contents or article abstract by clicking on the volume number, then the issue number in the right sidebar.
Institutional price: $950.00
Online subscription

Year 2004, Volume 6 / Issue 1

DOI: 10.1615/InterJAlgae.v6.i1

Pages: 100

DOI: 10.1615/InterJAlgae.v6.i1.30

Article price - $35.00

Phycoperiphyton assemblages in the Pinang River Basin (Malaysia); a case study on algal population and composition of a polluted river

Wan Maznah
School of Biological Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia

Mashhor Mansor
School of Biological Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia

Epilithic, epipsamic, and epipelic algae were sampled at several locations along the Pinang River Basin. Periphytic algae attached on glass slides were also sampled to determine whether the artificial substrates were collecting representative samples of algal flora naturally present at a site, which were subsequently used in water quality analysis. The relative abundance of certain groups of algae was different on varying substrates. Natural substrates recorded higher densities of algae (947.32 cells/mm² on stones and 1314.36 cells/mm² on sediment). Comparative studies of the algal communities on different types of substrates are complicated. The mutual resemblances between artificial and natural substrates were 78.3 % (stones and sands) and 78.1 % (sediment). Although the substrate type influenced the algal composition, the occurrence of certain species in the Pinang River Basin was also determined by water quality. Glass slides as artificial substrate were useful to compare algal composition between sites with different levels of pollution and to reduce the heterogeneity of naturally occurring substrates, so that the difference in algal composition is due to water quality.

pages 21-34

<< Previous article   Next article >>