A portable, modular, self-contained recirculating chamber to measure benthic processes under controlled water velocity

dc.citation.doi10.1086/682328
dc.citation.epage844
dc.citation.issn2161-9549
dc.citation.issue3
dc.citation.jtitleFreshwater Science
dc.citation.spage831
dc.citation.volume34
dc.contributor.authorRüegg, Janine
dc.contributor.authorBrant, J. D.
dc.contributor.authorLarson, D. M.
dc.contributor.authorTrentman, M. T.
dc.contributor.authorDodds, Walter K.
dc.contributor.authoreidwkdodds
dc.date.accessioned2016-04-04T22:13:47Z
dc.date.available2016-04-04T22:13:47Z
dc.date.published2015
dc.descriptionCitation: Ruegg, J., Brant, J. D., Larson, D. M., Trentman, M. T., & Dodds, W. K. (2015). A portable, modular, self-contained recirculating chamber to measure benthic processes under controlled water velocity. Freshwater Science, 34(3), 831-844. doi:10.1086/682328
dc.descriptionWe report the design, construction, and functional characteristics of a sealable, portable chamber for measuring benthic metabolic process rates, particularly those under unidirectional flow as found in streams. The design optimizes inherent tradeoffs, such as size, stability, and cost, associated with chambers built for field-based measurements. The chamber is small enough to be portable and minimizes the water-volume: benthic surface-area ratio. In addition, the chamber is clear to allow measurement of photosynthetic rates. The design minimizes power draw to sustain water velocities found at stream field sites and is modular to allow easy disassembly and cleaning. The design is relatively simple, thereby increasing sturdiness, minimizing construction costs, and decreasing the expertise required to build the unit. We demonstrated the performance characteristics, specifically amperage needed to achieve desired water velocity, flow heterogeneity and turbulence in the working area, the degree of isolation from atmosphere, mixing rate of solute injectate, and heating rate of the chamber. We provide proof of concept with data for in situ benthic rates (gross community production, community respiration, and NH4+ uptake). Publications on metabolic chambers built for in situ use do not typically report performance characteristics, so it is difficult to compare our design to existing literature. We include chamber characteristics to clarify the advantages and limitations of benthic rates measured in such chambers.
dc.description.embargoEmbargo 7/8/2016
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2097/32233
dc.relation.urihttps://doi.org/10.1086/682328
dc.rights© 2015 by The Society for Freshwater Science
dc.rights.urihttp://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/2161-9549/
dc.subjectPatch-Scale Measurements
dc.subjectBenthic Metabolism
dc.subjectNutrient Uptake
dc.subjectAir-Tight
dc.subjectSeal
dc.subjectDenitrification
dc.titleA portable, modular, self-contained recirculating chamber to measure benthic processes under controlled water velocity
dc.typeArticle

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