A study of some of the structural and functional features of the epiphytic community of algae on Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solm roots in Laguna de Bay

Date

5-1987

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Biology

Major Course

Major in Ecology Genetics

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Macrina T. Zafaralla

Abstract

Selected structural and functional characteristics of the algal epiphytes of Eichhornia roots in Laguna de Bay were studied at one station in Sta. Cruz, Laguna from December 1986 to February 1987. Microscopic observations revealed that the fungi were a major part of the epiphyton while constituted a minor portion. A total of 10 algal species were found for the whole period with an average of six species appearing in each sampling time. Only three (3) algal groups were represented, the Cyannophyta, Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta which was the most abundant. The average value for algal species diversity computed from the Shannon-Weaver Formula was 1.3. Average values for gross and net primary productivity were 0.42mgC/cm3/h and 0.06 mgC/cm3/h, respectively. A comparison of epiphytic and phytoplanktonic productivity showed that the net photosynthetic production of algal epiphytes tends to exceed that of the phytoplankton. The amount of organic carbon present was measured but the concentrations in the samples used were not large enough to be detected, this apparently being equal to less than ppm. Some degree of relationship between certain structural and functional features of algal epiphytes and certain physicochemical parameters of the lake were indicated by the data. However, these findings are strictly at a preliminary level and need further verification through a much longer sampling period.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

Thesis

Document Type

Thesis

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