S. Meintjes et al., DURATION OF INUNDATION AND CHANGE IN PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SMALL TEMPORARY PANS IN SOUTH-AFRICA, Hydrobiologia, 281(2), 1994, pp. 79-90
The day-to-day fluctuations in water depth, water temperature, dissolv
ed oxygen concentration, pH, conductivity and turbidity of six pans at
Bain's Vlei, South Africa, were monitored during five successive inun
dations from September 1988 to April 1989. Mean duration of inundation
s was 13.9 days, daytime water temperatures ranged from 10.5-degrees-C
-33.1-degrees-C, dissolved oxygen ranged from 30% to 142% saturation a
nd conductivity ranged from 43-2630 muS cm-1. F-test multivariate anal
ysis indicated that physical and chemical characteristics of all pans
were similar during the first inundation but differed significantly du
ring the subsequent inundations. The aquatic pan environment is epheme
ral, fluctuating and unpredictable. The biological community should co
nsequently feature adaptations to these conditions.