Three techniques for assessing microbial biomass and microbial activity were applied to ten New Zealand lakes to determine the relationship between microbial population and trophic status. The techniques tested were autoradiography, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) measurements, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) analyses. The autoradiographic technique was found satisfactory only for certain specific problems. Measurements of ATP concentration and SDH activity in water corresponded with classical measurements used to determine the trophic condition of lakes. The SDH activity of the lake sediments was also related to trophic state but with certain anomalies which require further investigation. Analyses of sediment ATP levels showed that some sediments contained substances which strongly inhibited the luciferin‐luciferase reaction.
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Bowie et al. (1976) studied this question.