Pj. Neale, Modeling the effects of ultraviolet radiation on estuarine phytoplankton production: impact of variations in exposure and sensitivity to inhibition, J PHOTOCH B, 62(1-2), 2001, pp. 1-8
Citations number
36
Categorie Soggetti
Biochemistry & Biophysics
Journal title
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY
Spectral ultraviolet (UV) irradiance, water column attenuation and biologic
al weighting functions for inhibition of phytoplankton photosynthesis have
been measured for the Rhode River, a subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay. Toge
ther, these measurements can be used to estimate UV effects on water column
production, but each factor shows a significant range of variability even
just considering summer time conditions. A sensitivity analysis of UV inhib
ition is described which assesses the effect of this variation for differen
t combinations of 28 irradiance spectra, 8 biological weighting functions (
BWFs) and 16 water column irradiance profiles. Over all combinations, produ
ction averaged about 84% relative to potential production in the absence of
UV effects. For a few combinations, relative production was as low as 67%,
or as high as 97%, but for most combinations the range was 75-95%. Variati
ons in the sensitivity of the phytoplankton assemblage, i.e. the BWF, and o
ptical properties, represented by a transparency ratio of biologically effe
ctive UV to photosynthetically available radiation (PAR), had large effects
on water column production. A simple relationship for UV inhibition of wat
er column production is developed based on inhibition at the surface and th
e ratio of UV and PAR transparency. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BY. All right
s reserved.