Abstract
A data set on community composition of the phytoplankton of the River Moselle (France) has been used for testing the ‘intermediate disturbance hypothesis’ (IDH). After a short presentation of the ecology of the river and of its phytoplankton, the main changes in composition and diversity of the suspended algal assemblage are described. It is emphasized that discharge fluctuations, related to weather changes, play a key role, but that biotic factors such as grazing and parasitism may also influence diversity in ‘stable’ summer conditions.
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Descy, JP. Ecology of the phytoplankton of the River Moselle: effects of disturbances on community structure and diversity. Hydrobiologia 249, 111–116 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00008847
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00008847