The benthic algal vegetation is sessile by definition; however, according to the degree of attachement to the substrate and the coherence between the microphtyes themselves, part of the biomass is lost to the water wave and exported as microphytic drift. Depending on environmental conditions, the proportion of the production exported varies (McINTIRE & PHINNEY 1965; EICHENBERGER 1967; EDELMANN & WuHRMANN 1978). Observations in our outdoor channels in Zurich suggested that grazers might enhance export. The presently described experiment was intended to study the effect of herbivorous insect larvae on the production pattern of phototrophic benthos.
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Eichenberger et al. (1978) studied this question.
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