Some Aspects of the Dynamics of an Ecosystem: The Reed College Canyon Stream
author: David Coleman
advisor: M.T.M. Rizki
year: 1960
ABSTRACT: A comparison of fluctuations of organic micronutrients (principally isoleucine) and bacterial populations in the Reed College Canyon stream is reported. A Bioassay method is employed for the former; colony counts are used as estimates for correlation of the latter with the former. Attempts to correlate micronutrient-microbe fluctuations with some physical ecological factors, such as flow-rate, total precipitation, and temperature are also made. The results suggest that there are two types of bacteria: "permanent" and "transient" residents in the stream water. The patterns of fluctuations of each category of bacteria change in different manners in relation to micronutrient concentrations.