HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Walmsley, R. D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Walmsley, R. D. Agricola Articles by Walmsley, R. D.

A Chlorophyll a Trophic Status Classification System for South African Impoundments¹

ABSTRACT

Chlorophyll a data from 24 South African impoundments were examined with the objective of developing a trophic status classification system. For the combined data set, standard deviation of the mean annual chlorophyll a concentration displayed an almost 1:1 linear relationship to the mean, indicating a wide annual variation in chlorophyll a for most impoundments. There appeared to be no common seasonal pattern to the occurrence of chlorophyll a maxima and minima, leading to the conclusion that trophic status was best described by a statistical parameter based on annual data (notably the mean value). Statistically significant empirical formulae that relate both the maximum value and the frequency of occurrence of specific chlorophyll a ranges to the mean annual value were established, and their potential use in the assessment of trophic status and impoundment management is described.

Key Words: eutrophication • water management • algal blooms

¹ Contribution from the Inst. for Environ. Sci., Univ. of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

² Lecturer, Dep. of Plant Sci., Rhodes University, South Africa.

Received for publication September 20, 1982.