An evaluation of the metabolism of sestonic and epilithic communities in running waters using an improved chamber technique

SUMMARY. 1. A chamber technique is described which allows the uptake of nutrients in a lotic system to be assessed during a brief experimental period. Sensitive radioisotope techniques were used to determine the metabolism of the planktonic and epilithic communities simultaneously in a pristine boreal forest stream in N.E. Quebec, Canada. 2. Abiotic adsorption of bicarbonate, glucose, methylammonium and phosphate was unimportant in the riffle investigated. Among the biological components, the epilithon was responsible for more than 87% of the uptake of bicarbonate, glucose and methylammonium. 3. The uptake of orthophosphate was predominantly (80%) by organisms in the overlying water. Phosphorus, the nutrient most limiting the system, may be conserved by the epilithon through internal cycling. Uptake rates are within the range reported for other oligotrophic systems.