ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Succession of Periphyton Developing on Artificial
Substrate Immersed in Polysaprobic Wastewater
Reservoir
A. Szlauer-Łukaszewska
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Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Limnology, University of Szczecin, ul. Wąska 13, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2007;16(5):753-762
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The succession of periphyton developing on artificial substrate immersed in a polysaprobic wastewater
reservoir was studied during a two-year period. Three stages in the periphyton development: initial, intermediate
and mature, were observed. The initial stage was characterized by domination of euglenophytes;
Carchesium polypinum was dominant during the intermediate stage, while diatoms and chrysophyceans
dominated the mature stage. However, the most characteristic component of periphyton consisted of detritus
that contributed more than 50% (by volume). The periphyton development dynamics in the second
year of the experiment, when that formation was already firmly established on the polyethylene sheets, was
quantitatively similar to the process of periphyton development in the first year of substrate exposure.