Seasonal succession of the phytoplankton in the upper Mississippi River

Abstract

Species composition and seasonal succession of the phytoplankton were investigated on the upper Mississippi River at Prairie Island, Minnesota, U.S.A. Both the numbers and volume of individual species were enumerated based on cell counts with an inverted microscope. A succession similar to algal succession in the local lakes occurred. The diatoms were dominant during the spring and fall and blue-green algae were dominant during the summer. The algal concentrations have increased up to 40 fold the concentrations of the 1920's, since the installation of locks and dams. The maximum freshweight standing crop was 4 mg · l⁻¹ in 1928 (Reinhard 1931), 13 mg · l⁻¹ in 1975 a wet year, and 47 mg · l⁻¹ in 1976, a relatively dry year with minimal current discharge. The diatoms varied from 36–99%, the blue-green algae from 0–44% and the cryptómonads from 0–50% of the total standing crop. The green algae were always present but never above 21% of the biomass. The dominant diatoms in recent years were centric -Stephanodiscus andCyclotella spp. (maximum 50,000 ml⁻¹). The dominant blue-green algae wereAphanizomenon flos-aquae (L.) Ralfsex Born.et Flahault andOscillatoria agardhii Gomont (maximum 800 ml⁻¹). These algal species are also present in local lakes. Shannon diversity values indicated greatest diversity of algae during the summer months.