Abstract
As part of studies on the production of arctic Char Lake in Cornwallis Island, the inflow of organic matter carried annually by tributaries into the lake, was investigated. In late June tremendous avalanches of snow, stones and slush make accurate measurements impossible, but afterwards drift could be estimated with nets, and benthic samples were gathered with scoops. Published data on erosion of similar streams were used to estimate the quantity of organic matter carried into the lake during the spring spate. About 600 kg of organic matter passes down stream from the watershed. The passage of organic matter during the brief season of free water provides the chief source of food for the limited benthic fauna, dominated by Chironomidae-Diamesa and Orthocladinae- and Enchytraeidae. The flora is dominated by diatoms. The biomass of the fauna of those parts of the stream investigated, amounted to 2.54 g/m2. Some ecological features of animals living in running water in this extreme habitat were studied.
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Contribution No. 253 from the CCIBP (Char Lake Project No. 22)
Contribution No. 253 from the CCIBP (Char Lake Project No. 22)
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Stocker, Z.S.J., Hynes, H.B.N. Studies on the tributaries of Char Lake, Cornwallis Island, Canada. Hydrobiologia 49, 97–102 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00772678
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00772678