Full Title
Modelling microbial utilisation of macrophyte organic matter inputs to rivers under different flow conditions
Student
Trish Bowen
Supervisors
David Williams (University of Canberra) and Gavin Rees (MDFRC)
Funding Body
Land and Water Australia
Duration
completed March 2006
Outcomes
PhD
Summary
Summary
This project aims to examine some of the processes underlying macrophyte senescence, litter accumulation and decomposition in lowland rivers, and how these are influenced by flow. The project combines field work at sites on three lowland rivers in south-eastern Australia with laboratory experiments and computer modelling. Field work over 18 months examined changes to macrophyte densities, rates of litter drop, biomass partitioning, tissue nutrient content and allowed mapping of macrophyte bed distributions at each site. Additional field sampling and experiments were used to assess in-stream microbial responses to additions of macrophyte using respiration chambers and bacterial ecto-enzyme analyses.
