QUANTWATWE AND QUALITATIVE EVALUAWON OF PLAN-KTON FROM FERTILIZED AND NON'#FERT‘1LIZED HATCHERY PONDS. WITH AN APPRAISAL OF METHODS USED Thesis for thc Degree of M. S: MICHIGAN STATE. COLLEGE Roswell DeWitt VanDeusen 3947 'THESIQ fight“; - Mg.” I “uh...“ T L.» .' _" _..-...-';.__. ‘ , ‘5 Tim is to certify that the 5‘ _ ‘ . . , thesis entitled . 5 WITH!“ m QUALITATIVE EVALUATION or ' ; amen non rm'IILIzn m Ion-Imam!!!) .3 ' , mom! rows. WITH AN APPRAISAL or move .7 USED. . '1 presented by l . . l - ‘ 1 mm mm unnmsn .1 . " ‘,' has been accepted towards fulfillment “" ' ' g of the requirements for '~ L I ' 1 u. 8. degree in Zoolog - '1 'k I fléé :1 ‘T 1 Date_& 23. 191” L 11-795 ___ t_ I I -'-'-Lnn-‘II 5-.- -‘L Ill-A- .- ll‘ _- [_14 QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF PLANKTON IRS! FERTILIZED.AID lOE-FERTILIZED HATCHERI.PONDS, WITH AN'APPRAISLL OF METHODS USED. By Roswell Delitt Egnneuaen A THESIS submitted to the Graduate School of Michigan State College of Agricultnre and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Zoology 19”? THEDIS AOKNO'LEDGHMHUTS The writer is greatly indebted to Dr. P. I. Tack of the Department of Zoology for his careful guidance and.many help- ful suggestions, and to Dr. G. w. Prescott of the Department of Botany for his willing supervision of plankton identifica- tion and counts. Gratitude is extended to Dr. R. 0. Ball of the Department of Zoology, Dr. R. L. Cook, and Dr. I. Lawton of the Department of Soils Science, and Dr. G. L. Sohlcemer of the Biological Science Department, who offered assistance during the study. The writer also benefited greatly from.the cocperation of Mr. Henry Hatt, District Supervisor,'and the hatchery personnel at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery. Mr. O. T. Yodsr assisted in the field work and supplied valuable field records. To all others who have given aid and encouragement, the writer extends his thanks and apprecig. tion. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction........................................... Description of Water Areas............................. Methods and Materials............. ..... ................ Greenhouse Experiments..... ......... .............. Fertilization of Ponds............................ Plankton Collections.............................. Chemical and Physical Data........................ Comparison of Paired Ponds With Regard to Chemical and Physical Conditions......................... Tests for Nutrients............................... Methods of Plankton Evaluation.................... Secchi Disk.................................. Light Absorption............................. Volume of Organic Matter..................... Enumeration by Direct Count.................. Gravimetric Determination of Organic Matter.. Comparison of Methods Used to Evaluate Plankton Data... Check-list and Numerical Tabulation of Plankton Organisms............................................ Notes on Important Constituent Organisms............... Discussion and Conclusion.............................. Summary............... ........ ......................... Literature Cited....................................... AppendiXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0.00.0000... Page 16 16 20 22 21!» 27 33 3s 33 39 no ”5 51 57 62 67 69 e u e a y n e a n n . e 0 w - . u e e u e e n e e . . u . e . e e v . . . . . s o . e u . . v a n u c . . . . e . n . . u n o n e . a . . . 4 e e u n . - . . . u . . e a .. v p a v a b n I Table I Table II Table III Table IV Table V Table VI Table VII TABLES Size, depth, and stocking rates of study ponds.................................... Abundance of higher aquatic plants in study ponds.................................... Fertilized and non-fertilized ponds showing frequency of fertilizer application...... Chemical analysis of Wolf Lake Hatchery source waters............................ Analysis of bottom soils upon completion of fertilization experiment................. Conversion of nutrient values in pounds per acre six inches to parts per million..... Check-list and numerical tabulation of plankton organisms from Ponds 4, 5, 7, and110.000.000.000...OOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOO Table VIII Comparison of weekly plankton counts from fertilized and non—fertilized ponds...... Page 11 13 21 35 36 37 52 5M O e e - v e e . . r " . m ' . w e o - e e w o I I ~ e o - - u . u. ‘I. a I) "X 10‘0“ G.’ e e e . . e . . e - t u u u u . - I e e e e e . t . o a e e e ILLUSTRATIONS Hap 0f water areaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoe Chart 1 Chart 2 Chart 3 Chart 4 Chart 5 Chart 6 Chart 7 Chart 8 Chart 9 Total particulate organic matter produced in fertilizer pot experiments using different fertilizer ratios........................... Chemical and physical data from Ponds fl and 5........................................... Chemical and physical data from Ponds 7 and ll.......................................... Chemical and physical data from Ponds 9 and l7.......................................... Chemical and physical data from Ponds 12 and 10.......................................... Comparison of several methods of plankton evaluation (Pond h)......................... Comparison of several methods of plankton evaluation (Pond 7)......................... Groups of plankton organisms found in Ponds fl and 5..................................... Groups of plankton organisms found in Ponds 7 and lleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeOeeeoeeeeeeo Page 10 19 26 28 30 32 #6 55 56 e e e s O . a . I e a e u a n . . . a . . o e e u c . . . u . u . . a e v e e 1 u . . e n . . I . . a n . e n . e t . I x _. I . u u . o . . n n o . a . . o . e e o a . e o . . e e . e I d I e w 0 Li Hl 6 INTRODUCTION This paper has a three-fold purpose; (1) to detern1ne the kinds of plankton organisms produced in fertilised and non-fertilized hatchery ponds, (2) to measure the effect of fertilizers on quantity of plankton produced, and (3) to compare the results of methods commonly used to appraise the weekly standing crops of plankton. The series of experi- ments were carried out on eight ponds at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery and were designed to measure the effect of fertilizers on the production of bait minnows and on close- ly related.production of the pond flora and other fauna. During the Spring of 1946, plans were fonnulated to carry out a cooperative project between the Institute for Fisheries Research of the Michigan Department of Conserva- tion and Michigan State College. This study is only a phase of the over-all enterprise to determine the effects of ferti- lisation upon the plant and animal life in ponds and lakes, in a glaciated region such as.nichigan. A survey of the kinds and quantities of plankton produced in these altered environments was offered as’a graduate problem to be sponsor- ed as a fellowship by the Institute for Fisheries Research. The institute furnished the salary and field expenses and the college supplied equipment for work in the field and laboratory. The field work was done under the supervision of Dr. P. I. Tack of the Zoology Department of Michigan State College. The study was commenced on April ll, 19M6, when the first samples of water were brought to the campus green- house for testing. Field studies began on June 17, l9h6, and continued until September 16, l9h6, when the ponds were drained and the fish removed. During the following six months the plankton collections and data were analyzed in the laboratory. This work is concerned primarily with plankton organ- isms, therefore, a definition of plankton is deemed in order. Aquatic plants and.animals are divided into three groups: '1. Plankton organisms of relatively small size, mostly microscopic, which have either relatively small powers of locomotion or none at all and which drift in the water sub— Ject to the action of waves, currents, and other forms of water motion.‘I 2. Nekton, and 3. Benthos, Welch (1935). It has been found that in most natural lakes and ponds the greatest crap of plankton occurs in the spring and autumn with corresponding lowest crop during the late summer and winter. This study was carried on during the summer period when enyironmental conditions are not best suited to promote maximum.growth of plankton. Since the ponds are filled in the spring and drained in the fall of the year, certain factors must become present during this time so that the micro-organisms may increase and contribute to the basic food chains. Fertilizer substances containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash are added to water areas to increase the I'secondary producers'I or bacteria, and phytoplankton which will in turn increase the “primary consumers“ or zooplankton and aquatic insects. To complete the cycle, larger fish will feed directly upon the seaplankters and insects, especially during their early development, or may feed indirectly upon them by consuming forage fish which are believed to feed upon the minute organisms. DESCRIPTION OF IATIR ARMS Location of study The Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery is the largest hatchery in the state and is located seven miles west of Kalamazoo, on M-h); (Rp13-W., r—z-s., Sections 13 and 1h), Almena Township, vanBuren County, Michigan. The hatchery lies in a gently rolling section. Soils of this region are predominantly sandy and support such specialized crops as grapes, raspberries, and asparagus. Ponds of the system are maintained by three springs supplemented with water pumped from Wolf Lake which is located across the highway to the north. later is pumped to Pond 6, a mixing pond, and is distributed from there. Number 1 Spring is the largest of the three and has a flow of approximately luOC gallons per minute. All ponds and raceways eventually drain into Wolf Lake. The hatchery plan is shown on page 10. W Eight ponds were designated to be used in the fertiliza- tion experiment. They were chosen because of their comparable size, and divided into pairs according to type of bottom and past productivity. The Wolf Lake ponds in general are uti- lized mainly for culture of pond fishes. The study ponds were stocked April 18-20, l9u6, with 'eyed eggs" of the Common White Sucker, Catostomus commersonii (Lacepede). The following table shows the pond number, acreage, average depth, and stocking rates of the ponds included in the study. ..‘O\ p ‘1}; r J. .7-.. .2 1'83 “ .o .32 Suasufisuéo- I m .82 233:... I SEE. .3 a 3 .8. .77... .13.: >mmrohn< a H“. \ .\. \\ sue \ sue \\\ \\\§ on“. ..w. .23 one \\§ .v» . :35 cos. x h... . .. ..... e. u“. 52......» \ \.. u . . \ an I \\ \.v. .v \u - \ e I. ills fl \\\\\ I \ \‘s‘ - \\\\\\ . \ .....\ \u 2 \uuuuuu-aa:-|\\ = . . \s t; 0Q 0. u‘ z - a“. .. a .z_:\.._, > 13.4: :52 L303. m2... Niba in ooueIeHeu on. In 11 Table 1 Size, depth, and stocking rates of study ponds. [gong_ Area(§cres} Ave. Depthgfeet} Stockigg u 0.98 3.8 98,000 sucker eggs 5 1.01: --- 1015000 I' - 7 . 1.5h 2.7 15,h00 ' ‘ 9 1.72 “.1 86,000 ' ' 10 l.h7 --- 36,750 ' ' 11 1.29 --- 12.900 ' ' 12 1.78 3.# un,5oo ' ' 17 1.27 --- 63,500 I - 12 The average surface area for the above ponds was 1.38 acres, the largest having 1.78 acres and the smallest con- taining 0.98 acres. The average depth for the four ferti- lized ponds, namely h, 7, 9, and 12 was 3.5 feet. Ponds u and 5 were ideally paired. They lie side by side, both have sandy bottom soil and nearly the same area and average depth. Ponds 7 and 11 were likewise paired because of their close proximity, size and depth. The bottom soils of the latter ponds did not agree as closely as those from Ponds h and 5. Pond 7 contained.more organic matter on the bottom than did Pond ll. Ponds 12 and 10, and Ponds 9 and 17 were also paired partly because of their size and bottom soils relationship, and partly because of necessity. Cone siderable manipulation of the flow diagram was necessary so that pond levels could be maintained and still not coup taminate control ponds with overflow or seepage from ferti- lized ponds. One of the main problems in the selection of ponds for carrying out fertilizer experiments is seepage. The ideal situation is to possess a pond which has a minimum loss of water by this type of run-off. Seepage was a problem in Ponds h, 5, 7, 10, and 11. The maintenance of normal levels in these ponds required additional water, which caused a dilution of the fertilizer. It has been suggested that Bentonite or some such material be added to control seepage particularily in Ponds h, 5, 7, and 11, before further ex- perimentation of this nature is carried on. 13 Higher aquatic plants were represented by comparative— ly few species. On July 9, l9h6, a survey was made of the plants in each pond. Lists of species found and relative abundance of each was recorded on analysis record blanks as shown on page iii of the appendix. The results are listed in Table II. Identifications were made from Tassett (19%). Table II Abundance of higher aquatic plants in study ponds. Pond h gags Abundance 929;; sp. Medium Ealagflglggilig (Willd.)Ros.& Sch. (Bushy Pondweed) Sparse Potamogeton sp. Sparse Pond 5 E222 Abundance m sp. Medium £51§§,flexilis (Willd.)Ros.& Sch. (Bushy Pondweed) Medium Potamogeton foliosue Raf. (Leafy Pondweed) Sparse Pond 7 £222 Abundance g_h_a_1_‘§ sp. Abundant Rajas flexilis (Willd.)Ros.& Sch. (Bushy Pondweed) Medimm Potamogeton sp. Medium Ceratophyllum demersum L. (Coontail) Spare. In Table II (Cont.) Pond 9 M Abundance £5155 flexilis (Willd.)Ros.& Sch. (Bushy Pondweed) Abundant Potamcgeton foliosus Raf. (Leafy Pondweed) Medium M sp. Sparse Pond 10 gage Abundance Anacharis canadensis (Michx.) Planchon (Waterweed) Medium _C_h_a_r_a_ sp. Medium Potamcgetcn sp. Sparse Pond 11 £522 Abungagce Potamggeton sp. Abundant M flexilis (Willd.)Ros.& Sch. (Bushy Pondweed) Medium gh355_sp. Medium Pond 12 game , Abun ce Potamogeton foliosus Raf. (Leafy Pondwsed) Abundant pgglgg flexilis (Willd.)Ros.& Sch. (Bushy Pondweed) Abundant _C_h_a_1_'_a_ sp. Medium Pond 17 ESE: Abun ce Potamggeton foliosus Raf. (Leafy Pondweed) Medium 15 Table II (Cont.) lame Abundance Rajas flexilis (Willd.)Ros.& Sch. (Bushy Pondweed) AMedium Chara sp. ‘Medium The ponds, in order of relative abundance of aquatic plant growth were; 12, 17, 9, ll, 10, 7, 5, and h. During early August the plant growth reached a maximum after which a decline occurbd. This was characterized by the plants "settling'I to the bottom, and becoming brownish in color. Plants of the pondweed 591;; formed floating mats at the surface which tended to drift toward the outlet. In ferti- lized Ponds 7, 9, and 12 this condition brought about a large amount of bacterial activity with subsequent decomposi- tion. The presence of bacteria colonies was noted in con- 'trifuged samples from these ponds. Existence of higher aquatic plants in the fertilized ponds appears to depend upon the amount of light penetra- tion. At the start of the experiment Ponds h and 5 were pOpulated, as noted in Table II, with growths of ghagg sp., which were medium in abundance. Upon draining Pond h was void of all plants while Pond 5 maintained its plant growth. It is assumed that the absence of plants in Pond n was caused directly by persistence of the phytOplankton bloom throughout the observation period. Blooms in the other fertilized ponds did not begin until later in the experiments; therefore, the results from these ponds cannot be compared with those from Pond h. 16 METHODS AND MATERIALS The data for this paper with the exception of that from greenhouse experiments were obtained from a series of daily observations and weekly collections made at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery. The daily records were kept by Mr. C. T. Yoder, Fisheries Biologist for the Institute for Fisheries Research, who lived at the hatchery. Monday and Tuesday of each week were spent at the hatchery and.with assistance from Mr. cher the fertilizer was applied and the necessary plank- ton collections were made. Water samples were taken for chemical analysis. A period of three months proceeding the field work was devoted to greenhouse experiments. Greenhouse egperiments Tests show that the amounts of dissolved solids and gases in natural waters vary in composition. Two alterna- tives must be considered when predicting a fertilizer for use in a certain body of water. One alternative is to treat water samples with different fertilizer ratios to determine the most nearly correct combination of elements. The amount of organic matter produced determines this ratio. The second alternative is to make chemical analyses on water samples to determine which element or combination of elements are deficient, or present in excessive quantities. This will give indications of which nutrients are limiting plant growth either by their presence or by their absence. A fertilizer ratio is the prcportion of nitrogen as elemental 1? nitrogen, phosphorus as phosphorus pentoxide, and potassium as potash in a fertilizer formula, example; a u-S-h ferti- lizer formula has a 1-2-1 ratio. With this in mind an ex- periment was started to determine a suitable fertilizer for Michigan waters, using the method of treating water with various fertilizers. Water samples from the Harrisville, Hastings, Drayton Plains, and Wolf Lake State Fish Hatcheries located in the Lower Peninsula were brought to the campus for testing. A series of In one-gallon crooks were filled with source water samples from the various collections. These were treated with 13 possible nutrient combinations of ESP-K and the results are shown in Chart 1. The common expression N—P—K will be used to indicate the nutrients found in commercial fertilizer formulas. The crooks were kept in the soils eXperimental greenhouse on the Michigan State College campus. It is assumed that 150 pounds per acre is a suitable fertilizer application, this figure was proposed by Dr. R. L. Cook of the Soils Department of Michigan State College and was used in these testS. Increments of each nutrient are computed in form of grams of pure chemical per gallon of sample water. The following chemicals were used as sources of nitrogen, phosphorus, and.potash; NaNO3=16.n7¢unitrcgen, Ca(H2P0n)2-_-56.3% 9205, and xzsou53.667. :20. 0.0375 grams Ca(H2POu)2:.O2l grams P205 per gallon or equivalent to 150.07 pounds of 0-20-0 per acre per two feet of water. Therefore .128 grams of NaNO3 equals .021 grams of nitrogen 18 per gallon and .039 grams of K280; equals .021 grams of I20 per gallon. The required portions of the above were dissolv- ed in a known amount of water and added directly to the ex- perimental pots. Chart 1 shows the various ratios of nitrogen, phos- phorus, and potassium used, and the milligrams of organic matter per liter produced by the different fertilizer ratios when applied to the Wolf Lake Hatchery water supply. It is apparent that the high nitrOgen-high phosphorus ratios, as 2-2-1, 3-1-0, and h—2—l, consistently produced greater amounts of organic matter. Examination of organisms found in the 3-1-0 sample showed the following genera present; Oscillatoria sp., Sggggggggug sp., Chlorella sp., Dino- flagellate cysts, Pandorina ep., Amoeba sp., Pediastrum sp., Ankistrodesmus sp., Schizochlamzs sp., and Nephrocztium sp. From these experiments came the fertilizer ratio best suited to all-waters tested and to the Wolf Lake Hatchery source. 0n the basis of the amount of organic matter produced the fertilizer formula, or percentage of available nutrients present, 10-6-h was derived. The amount of this fertilizer required to produce the desired results is arbitrary without first knowing exactly what nutrients are already present in the water and in what quantities. To commence the experiment a 100 pound application of fertilizer per acre surface area was arbitrarily selected. Also it has been observed that s plankton bloom will last from two to four weeks. Therefore, 100 pounds of lO—6-fl fertilizer was to be applied per acre .moflpmn souaaapsow economwmo momma memosfincnwolpOQ Houfiaapnom ma couscous Houses ofiswmno canadedpnmd Hmpoa a vhmno 19 .3. t \\ 0_._. macpfia mom memficmmno mo oneness ea mnemoo movmsmam “Honda you mEmHmHHHHs ed Houses cammmso mo memo» ed mopxeman Ho mmoupmfinmb some mccfiqv A: meomv modemsam>o eopMemHQ Ho.mmonpcs Hmnosom mo commemosoo m passe PERCENT OF MAXIMUM IOO ' ' ' ‘ ' ' ‘ ' ' fix I \ l’fi\\ ” \ | 80 _ [I \ g 1’ \\ 5’ “’ / ‘ \\ - a \ I \ 7 6‘ r4 / ’1 R A ’, .c- / {’x I ,/ '\ / J 60- '. \‘ - 1 9‘44 \ ‘ / V/ \ \. :7 ‘L I 2‘ / \ \ / 1’ r” \f \ y / / I \ F J / / \ / \\ ‘ / y 4o . ,I/ \ A \ j - ’ A \ o” RQ‘a d J / ' / bx” 1:1:— ”’ .. "I P/ “ \é’ / /> / LEGEND: 'MAXIMA o—-— 'LIGHT ABSORPTION - Ioox . ZOtV/c/ A----- - ORGANIC MATTER - IOMGS/L ‘ n——— -PLANKTON ooums -25x-o‘/L O -—--- - VOLUME -0.s c.c/-. A -SEOOHI DISC - l/6.0FT. O L I l l l l I l l 7-l 7-8 7-5 7-22 7-29 8-5 8-12 849 8-26 9-2 9-9 M7 is conceivable that when a bloom declines below 18 inches or some other value, more fertilizer should be added. Light absorption Use of the chlorophyll content of plankton as an index of lake productivity has been used by several authors, among them Kosminski (1938), and Manning and Juday (19M1). This method involves the use of an extraction process to separate the chlorophyll by acetone, or by other agents. It cannot be considered as a practical field.method. Barrett (ms) obtained a high correlation by direct colorimeter readings correlated with the weight of dry organic matter. In view of this, colorimeter readings were made of all Samples as described under methods of plankton evaluation. There are two factors which affect this type of reading, namely, variations in groups composing the plankton, and the presence of any turbidity due to finely divided soil particles. The samples were thought to be free of the latter type of con- tamination. ‘ Results show a close comparison between light absorption and dry organic matter readings. This may be caused by the predominance of green algae. As can be seen on Chart 6, the light absorption in collections made on August 19 declined considerably as did the dry organic matter in the same samples. The answer to this is given on Chart 8, where a corresponding decrease in green algae is found. Volume of plankton The volume of plankton was obtained by a settling A.pocm ea monsoon amen “macaw use upemoucq ed scapmnomnm panH unopda Hon msopms nausea-canoe ma ampere odemmso no meaommu oanpossaob “empaa you memaoemno mo oneness ed menace ecumemfla “Honda you msmnmdaaes a“ Mopeds Oflemmno mo memos ea nonmemfio mo mcoapmfinma sons mmeaqv AN vcomv doapmsampo cosmemao HO moonpms Honchom mo eOmHHmQSOO a usage PERCENT OF MAXIMUM 1': (SI lw y I 1 l I I T I It I, \ LEGEND : MAXIMA / \\ O —-— -I.IeI-IT ABSORPTION - IOO% ,’ fl\ A ----- - ORGANIO MATTER -25Mes,/L P‘k / \‘I D —— -PLANKTON COUNTS -25on‘/I. / I/ ~ \\ 80 - O -——-- - VOLUME - 0.6 oc/L ' I: N \ I A - SEOCHI OIsc - v6.0 FT. / / \ \\ / - \ I \ i! \‘I/ ,5!” /\ \\ ' t” \ ‘ \ 60 - f’I / \ \‘Q I» 9// \ ‘ g, I] b\ \ II 3 I I, / \\ \ f“ [A I \ \ * . 7 I I / \ \ \\ / [I 3;, IE/ \ 40 7‘. . I 3! $7 ‘ \ I \II \\ fi 8/ \ \ . I / 5 -. \ -d" ‘ / g/ \‘ A / ‘7 \\ ‘fl— \ l / \\ /F \\\n’{/ l’n- 4 )J l 20 "5/ o/ / - ER" \\ '/' ,l // \ / \\ \\\ ’P/ ’1 J a 7 w” P” ‘\c/ / O??? I I 1 l 1 1 _ l 7-I 7-e 7-I5 7-22 7-29 8-5 e-I2 s-Is 8-26 9-2 9-9_ M9 process. If the total particulate organic matter as determin- ed by sampling is used as the best measure Of pond productivi- ty, then the volume measurement is not a reliable one. In several cases the volume and weight comparison showed inverse relationships. On Chart 7 it is shown that the volume on July 1 showed M5 percent of the maximum while all other measurements were below 20 percent. On August 26, the volume and weights of plankton were approximately the same, and on September 2, the volume had risen to 100 percent while the actual dry organic matter weight had decreased substantially. When compared to the counts, the difference is accounted for by the large number of minute cell-fragments Of green algae. These eXperiments show that volume as determined by the sett- ling method is not a reliable criterion of a standing orOp of plankton. Plankton counts Plankton counts were determined by a direct method Of counting.’ This method is perhaps the simplest; however, it is time-consuming and requires a great amount of skill in identification and manipulation. Results Obtained from this method compared quite closely with the more generally accepted method of determining dry organic matter per unit volume. This has somewhat the same shortcomings as the volume calculation. When a bloom of an extremely small colonial form as Dictyosphaerium pulchellum existed the count of organisms per standing crop became greater in 50 comparison to the rise in dry organic matter. This is shown in Chart 7 where on September 2, the line representing counts exceededthat representing the weight measurements. In Chart 6 on July 29, the fluctuation of the small diatom Synedra sp. caused a sharp increase in numbers, with a lesser correspond- ing increase in weight. .Totalparticulate organic matter Dry organic matter, as determined by method described in preceeding section, is generally accepted today as the best criterion of plankton production. Riley (l9M0), defines phytoplankton production as "the quantity of phyto- plankton produged during a given unit time, expressed as the weight of dry organic matter“. Since all but a small percent of the plankton taken was phytoplankton, the results are presented as milligrams of dry organic weight and are used as a basis of comparison with the other methods. 51 CHECK-LIST AND NUMERICAL TABULATION OF PLANKTON ORGANISMS. Results from weekly plankton counts are tabulated by species, by total numbers, and graphically by groups of organisms. A detailed weekly count by species is presented in Table VII which is also a check-list of all organisms found in the experimental ponds. Organisms in this table are listed in order using the classification of Smith (1933). Notes on the important organisms will follow in the next section of the paper. A comparison of total numbers of organisms present in samples each week is shown in Table VIII. Total and average counts for the period between July 1 and September 9, in- elusive are also recorded in Table VIII. This shows the fluctuatiOn in numbers of organisms during the collecting period. These results are also presented graphically in Charts 8 and 9. It will be noted that the green algae made up a large portion of the bloom in both Ponds M and 7. In Pond M, which has a sand bottom, a diatom pulse was also found. When sufficient data has been collected to show which plankton organisms are encouraged under certain conditions and by certain fertilizers, predictions may then be made re- garding the alterations of food cycles. The knowledge of the kinds and abundance of plankton is necessary when taking stomach samples to determine what the fish eat, when certain plankters are present in the qualitative samples. Mmmfiqoaoo no newness peommn OH massoo smanomnmmohvofin new mfimeooooooamuomm .onspmo ca amooo home we mouooom some mo moaeoaoo one memfimmmso Hmmpabfipcd snowshoes muonsszv .HH use .N .m .: aosom scan mamfismmao mouMemHQ mo moapmasnmp Hecancssq use pmHHIMOono HH> OHnt .ll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllll $00" IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII finffl IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII m . .......... fig: sp.-......- » . u....o..... - coo-suns... nucn......u ......ooo-w §.N\ ...-...... ......nossnususousuou .GUOGOJ oeav ails-o. It'dgh ................................... 61.3... .ot....A.: 686w n A .2. 32558 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII .c 0 coco-owe... Isa-west... cocoons-OI. nose-Ilene non-noose. .............................................. fiasco-Mun. OmxwwM-o- wee-ones... unease-o... swoon-Iowan §~°fl nae-Innis. Mfl Icon-coo.women's-00's.enclose-OOOIOOIIOIOO O: I“; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- on. fl sources-use scans-.... non-.....- ........... °£ a CC“..- Na §.@u ...-......o o....-..- ..........o ......M.... ...-......o ...-...... ...-...... "fl s...............-.-.....c.o.-o......oc “COOP-Eng ........... .HUHUUHHHU ....................................................... §.£ §.CO .................... "a :81: ............. 62 S 83: 88.8.. 62.63; :60. ......... £:A.: won A .................... ...... ........................................... - O . . .........- ...-...... ofl..~m ............................................ 03.3 ...... 31.80.? 03%“— .................... : ....................................... do nauseous-3.6 . . . ugh—Amateuo . .§.mm ..... OWN..MM .............. §.m1 ...................................................... OUN.A“ .......... dd ............ H ..................... gal .......... a“. d ..... .. .................... H ............... N 9L Ac ......... 3A.: of 6A 9.8.2 08. a 6.2 A» at ...A ems Au 696A m Human Minna “Amman” 2...... s. s 8.... ........... 8.... Huang” 8.”: as... ._ .................................... ......152828 “Human mini ”Anni” sauna” nunuu ............. ....AA..AA.. ...AasA: A. ......-.... ...-...... ....................................................... DEN“ ........... OWN.W# §.UBN 1 ........................................... .BI Canoluvd- Opt-{n ................................................................................................... s oooooo HH ”HHHUHHHHUH ”HHHUHHHHUH E-Nn ”HUN-nus... .....nc-.on ...-Ian... woo-soc...- -nw---.-n .HHHoIHuo“ ooooooooooooooooooooo N OwN.wn omn.ua CUMUWA ........... Buff 08.3 000.): 93.0: OWNAtO §.wn 000.0: m ........................ ODOHU ..A—Puo Iauuuaonlv («nonavdn ............................................................................................................ OWN-0H Ad ....................................................................................... OK. .— .......... .......... ........... RN-“fi wool-onus.— cucnnconeso nuances-col access-... cons-wooscs cull-wuss... cocoa-Moon. Incense-I. seems-coco M a ............................................................................................................ . A . ...-.........-....-..s...-.-...s...-......- . 0 lutfl¥w0€ 3K VA Esau-”.... §.01 ............................................................................ mvx-Mm... M ........... ...... ”H” .............................. owfwn ........... OWN.WA. OUNAWfl O£.O~ .......... 1 ............................................. .QI CHOGQI‘ .................................................................................................................. an ------------------------ 2 Ni. omnm 20““ coco-ounc- c-uu-no-nun coca-nunu-I sensuous-IO lune-once. neuron-woo N 8% Ni. SAM “m .................................................... °®~.~M ccccccccccc 8m N“ fins 0 ................................................................. 00m.~n o.v~.¢A oomumw 11...... AA .n: tion-.6 ....................................................... O‘N 0‘ ..........u ........-- OWN Wu .. ...-...... omN 9." AH SA 6AA 68 3A om~ 8 8A. 3A 62.; oak. A: com ...A 8%.... ..... 80% oma R M So 2A can S cm... «A coo A... 32$ 68.». ...................... 08 an coo 3 omA Au ................................. OWN mgfl °$N.OH QAUN..O.H OWN. N“ secure-ole. OWNU §.~F 8m- flfld 3 ouoo...-..-..-..-........so..o........o.on Qt Ian—050g 35 NA 8! fit. out Wfl EANA OWN-WM QLN.@H 08.0“ ........... § @8 ..................... dd ........... - no. ...-on.- ...-....ssc §.h 00.0n o....-....- ...-......u .....U ... com-NM 8m NM 5 o... 8 on» SA 8m AAA 62 A.. com A 666 a. ........... 89$ can 8 65.3 63 wn m .1. ........... 6..» ~. ...................... can no 36.; o£ An 38?: 8m AAA“ 08.3 0mm 9a A ............................................ .a. 1:2:- - .. ........... O‘N.KH ..... nul- ........... t. uuuuuuuuuuuuuu °®-Ofl omh N“ ssssssssssssssss h nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn NH 2 A ........... 91 w» 62...» 9...? RAMA 63.2 63.3 ..... n ..... 68.3 .......... 86.? A. ........... Orin w~ 80$ ........... ............ .......... OauNAMn 8%” OK 0n §afiw own CNN m . ................................. 0%“ A 8‘ 1n oak-R §.Nm g” g CNN Cowafi fl 0mm 1a 3 us..............-..-.....-...............- .9. IODOCEGO‘ OWN WA OWN wk OJUN w~ ”g d ..................... OWNADd g Q” 0‘ WM... OWN. °£.HU HA OJN W3 OWN EUR 0.00 7:“ O£ATNN 80 S." $56~U 8°.m ...-.... ......... U ..................... M 8m an. 63.2 . 68.: . 86.: com AAA 0... .$ ofiJM 8m? . own: . - he: 693m: ......... a O£.0rw.w OVN 0H0 w ....XWO.am@.m Qm«.£Nh.l 0mm.§.m 8 ...—20.: OMNOAMMJANn on m n 80 08 n 0 Am Nah.“ own. 3.“ "A .................................... I ave-uh. cccccccccccccccccccccc n we Inca-v lenses-wows ...-now...- 0 . ulna-woo... nudes-noes. sue-.uunuw 0......ocls an NA 96.x: §.§ E Nn §.O8 ..................... OWN.OH ............................... k ........... 80m. §AOH .........-n .........o. ...-...... ...-.....un OEsAWd $.mn 08 A ...-...... m o. . 8N an 98 r 8f ldu g 8d 98 00A aflnmz §uN°m §AnWH 08 FNF E as a d ........................................ Bl InnOoOHOG ........................... .asummmmmwmwmoa SOAMI Ayn-W." a, ............................................. . .............................. a." ..................................... ...................... QWN‘A ...-......s ...-......o ........- . ......o.... .......-u.. ...-...... A .....-.....-............................- .90 IIGOIOHfiIl mm o? ...A om~ 8A .. uéofiaguazu om 80 no? ........... sNus oooooooooo a 2.: o .5 sm-afl omN. fl dH ....Kw ......... W... EMA}. mm“? % 8A ..... A.....z. Wm.” :ommzAz. wmkumwA flaw or ...6 m ® g. d g. ooooooooooo . 1 O8 g V g. H cox-W‘s oooooooooooooooooo M ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Mono. once-I-oH-U smas on fl“ 3 ...................................... .fifl.° gi¥d0g9¢g Human “Hana .....sa... .8... ..... A ....... as... ..... mans. ......awmz Amman” AA ................................. Eda scopes-sane cox-Mm... ecfix.MM.-a scooooneocc cones-moot. .....m..o. sweflfi ........-..................-...... .OGCUIRGM 2¢hddfl.9«flp .................................................................................................. 68.3 m .o. fines: ............ ........... u......e... ...-......o ...-......s ......o... ......o.... ......o.... ...-......o ...-...... OON.@A h . _...-.... . ........... oaaa one-non...- noc-csc-o-s noose-coco. accesses-c coo-coon... seasons-ms. nuns-cos... case's-... omNQWH : s...o...vo....un.s.......a..... . n. Inflodlonfl oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ficWN rouse-occ- HH ............................................................................. ......1... . .....1... . . .n- Suave—:95 OWN-Wu ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss fix .MM ............... 3M..$Hooo “A ....................... .k.’D g‘dfl...‘ awhOEO'OHOOO .................................................................................................. 08.0H ...-sou... H” ...-..............................o.....- .fll .Oflckcczfi‘ -------------------------------------------- 0““ 0H lacs-cu... g.“ §QWH 08.0“ omNQWfl 8“.“ "fl 8cm” 0 womb-Muflum ..... firmn- uuuuu fiumm-o- finWN finndfl ....... a... ””HH””””””“ com-none“... HHHHHHHHHH coo.“ ..... M 86 ... 8. a. 82$ 8A.“. 62.x Some 82.: 62.: 62.“. 3mm WM.” . ................ .232... 3332...... 5.88859... on N ccccccccccc crowd oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo N ................ as... ”Amman ”mums” A ...... .... ... ”HANNA“ ..8A..AAA.. “Amman” Human .....AAAAA... ....AAAAA... ”Amman ”Amman Amman: 8.... .......... N ................ .....AAAAA.AAA..AAA.AA..AAAAAAA.HAAA.Au... ........... OK. A. ...: ..... ...-... ... .........-. .......... ........... omu.$ Osuwu .mvmmuwm... U.......HHHU a ........... 8.. ... .2 82:: “MW ca;- 606A 83A «man A ...... 1:3: 53.... 128...... “Hun“..nn ...... ”mm: .....Amuxm. ....... H ...... momma: “Human” ..86.$ ......... 3 ............. 62.8 .A.A . . .83 .88886 ........... 1.01.3.1. ......1... ......1... .111... 11...... 1.11.... 1.111.. 11.1.... 11...... 096A m..1.11.11.10'A-ua. A6 sacrament. 3.: .m ...... 68A .6 ...... 88A .2 6... 32 .3 .8. 68A .3 .9: 91A .n 63 63A .9 A3. 68A .8 :2. 93A .2 :2. 3A .. AAA... 32 .A :2. 32 8.2.86 .......... ........... ........... OOOOOOOOOOO ........... ........... ........... 00000000000 ........... ........... ooooooooooo ........... 00000000000 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... lllllllllll aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaa oooooooooooo ccccccccccc ........... nnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnn ........... ooooooooooo ........... lllllllllll ccccccccccc ........... ........... ........... ccccccccccc ooooooooooo OOOOOOOOOOO ........... IIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIII ........... ccccccccccc ccccccccccc ........... ooooooooooo ........... ........... ........... ooooooooooo ........... . ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... nnnnnnnnnnn ooooooooooo ........... OOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOO ----------- ........... ........... ooooooooooo .......... ........... ........... ooooooooooo nnnnnnnnnn IIIIIIIIII llllllllll .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... IIIIIIIIII .......... 0000000000 .......... .......... oooooooooo nnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnn ammo“ 899. ........... ........... ooooooooooo ccccccccccc ........... ooooooooooo 00000000000 ........... OOOOOOOOOOO ----------- ........... ccccccccccc ........... ooooooooooo ooooooooooo nnnnnnnnnnn ooooooooooo ooooooooooo ........... IIIIIIIIIII ........... IIIIIIIIIII ........... ooooooooooo ........... nnnnnnnnnnn ooooooooooo ooooooooooo ........... ooooooooooo 00000000000 00000000000 ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ooooooooooo nnnnnnnnnnn ........... ----------- uuuuuuuuuuu ........... ooooooooooo ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ........... ooooooooooo ........... OOOOOOOOOOO ooooooooooo ........... oooooooooo .......... nnnnnnnnnn .......... .......... nnnnnnnnnn .......... .......... .......... cccccccccc .......... .......... .......... .......... cccccccccc nnnnnnnnnn 0000000000 oooooooooo 0000000000 .......... OOOOOOOOOO .......... IIIIIIIIII OOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO .......... .......... .......... .......... nnnnnnnnnn .......... .......... IIIIIIIIII nnnnnnnnnn .......... oooooooooo .......... nnnnnnnnnn oooooooooo uuuuuuuuuu oooooooooo IIIIIIIIII .......... .......... ---------- 0000000000 .......... nnnnnnnnnn .......... .......... oooooooooo .......... ooooooooooooooooooo ...-Ionncoc-oon06666-o-n on. .§*n'dn oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo .ntfldufi’I-v Cgfioc «nag 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 c“. 'dng 8 3081—0 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo .8.°&°~I :dfldflgfidnp «out? ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo on. CS§HOEOIKF oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo on. .308‘ uaogmofiaoa ................. .uflducoa fix-6v :nOfluvA—zun undo-hoe oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cg IdfldfluHOL nations oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo uflfl.° :d%d0=.Ung ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 6“. gflhioo ........................ .33 A..-.5 2:33 ISA-'8 ............................ 0.8““! :‘d’g‘o gflh'oo uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu c“. gdh.0.°HU ooooooooooooooooooooooo .D.88 Aug“ sug- athO‘OfiU ......................... .IflueCOC lfinaoa gafluvogu‘ ..................... .avnl oI.O 'IAduuogu ananaood ............... ... . ......o.. ..udu. Own-Hiuhu duflgaoao ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo a“. .EOVEU’ IIIIIIIIII as..‘°.~n .6 Andezv g-U«~°.a ‘5'”.88 ...-o oooooooooooooooooo o .flflfllhollid .Bvlflbhd OEIOCDOBDOD nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn I’d.fla Andeav .aadHDO .i.:¢.8 ......C.’ ......... ......ICOOOO 000000000000 0°. g2:'.h ...................... .03.! .3 .3 I323. navy-.3.» uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ...:‘vu €009 guaaCo fizzy.“ ................ £3! .16 «.003. 3.3690: 59.3350 ........ .22.- ... .6 AiAZuAcAa-t 3868 £223.30 ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo a“. .fiAOdbz‘OHd. ................. .voAlaoo 32...: ...-no 33:09.3: oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo a“. adoflfi.v.og ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo c“. .“h.§~nau .................. . .IIS A5»): .333. Egan-=3 o- ................................. o ........ .6. luv-5000 ............................ .IOOIOOuI Cuhivddo. 0.0.50: 530...: 8:33. 36:03 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo uhdfld- 'Cg. IGUC§ no... ................... ng- 'dHOIOda l¢~.§§:da 666666666666666666666666666666 .‘Oh‘ lg: !OI-fl.ou Table VIII Comparison of weekly plankton counts from fertilized and non-fertilized ponds. ce£§23t$§n Plankton count in Numbers of Organisms per 1. 19u6 Pond fl Pond 5 Pond 7 Pond 11 1 Ju1y u,317,000 1,01u,000 376,000 376,000 8 Ju1y u,775,000 65n,000 n58,000 376,000 15 July 8,062,000 392,500 uu1,500 327,000 22 July 8,880,000 181,500 212,500 u7u,500 29 July 18,u30,500 131,000 310,500 2M5,500 5 August 10,155,500 310,500 2,191,500 1n7,000 12 August 9,u85,000 327,000 2,53u,500 29u,500 19'August 8,536,500 29n,500 8,373,000 2h5,500 26 August 8,7h9.500 327.000 13,573,500 376.000 2 September 13,606,500 u7n,500 22,7n8,500 359,500 9 September 20,88h,000 507,000 9,u85,500 n25,000 Total number 115,881,500 n,873,500 60,705,000 3,6u6,500 Average number 10,53h,682 ”H3,0h6 5,518,637 331,500 .m use : mocom nu annoy mamfiawmno coaxamam mo masonc w andno |'0 1| 5:: .1" e .3 (NUMBER OF ORGANISMS IN MILLIONS / LITER) ABUNDANCE OF PLANKTON .o 020.... ower—kumwzoz z. 0239.... 392310 mhzwmumamm w._.