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CLAUDE
E.
BOYD
pp. 606-611
CLAUDE E. BOYD
ABSTRACT
The rate of oxygen consumption by organisms in pond waters, as measured by a dark bottle
technique r a 24-hr period, increased with increasing chemical oxygen demand (COD). Rate
of oxygen ,rsumption increased with temperature between 15 and 35 C (Qiu values were 1.5 to
2.0). At the same level of COD, oxygen consumption was greater in unaltered pond water than
ill %%ll,.ill which the plankton was heat-killed and oxygen was utilized only by bacteria and
other decomposers. COD was positively correlated with increasing concentrations of chlorophyll
in pond waters. The amount of COD in soluble organic matter ranged from 20.2 to 95.0% of
the Iota] COD. The percentage of the COD in the soluble fraction decreased with increasing
quantities of phytoplankton. The average amounts of oxygen (mg oxygen/mg dry wt) required
to completely oxidize various types of biological material were; phytoplankton from pure cultures
1.29, macroscopic algae 1.00, higher aquatic plants 0.99, particulate matter from pond waters
0.98, and fish 1.19.
INTRODUCTION
606
607
AND DISCUSSION
608
-J
0Js
-JJ
- .71 +0.065 X - O.00l X
Z2
20
40
o0
CHEMICAL OXYGEN
so
DEMAND
oo
120
140
(MG/L)
15
Pamatmat (1968)
.3
data for
20
25
TEMPERATURE
30
(o C )
fr m1 4 t 1,6 mg o y e / 2p rh . H h
values were associated with benthic commu
ni es c m r ed o a ov g t i n. V l s
for most shallow-water, organically rich seifments, such as foud in many ponds, were
below 142 mg oxygen/m 2 per hr. The con
sumption of oxygen for nine common species
,f freshwater fish at rest ranged from 65 to
210 mg,/g per hr at 17 to 20 C (Clausen,
1936). Oxygen consumption by fish increases
w;t activity and the consumption of oxygen
a 0 C b i es ei so ih t a e ef r e
to e rcs ra g d f m 26 to 8 8 g g
pe r(au19
).Oyncosmtn
by fish also increases markedly with tempera
ure. Values for moderately active lctalurus
cativs increased from 60 mg/kg per hr at 11 C
in December to 276 mg/kg per hr at 30 C in
June.'
Ox g n c su pi n b pl kt n om
Agricultural
Experiment Station,
Auburn
609
I20
*100
j
00O9
0
3.
Z40
02
O.O2-+O.033X_______
(P<O.OI)
3.960
.
Z
W
>"
+ o.36ox - 0.000252
1~7.71
-jY
20.
Se
CO
50
100
0.909
(P<O.OI
______
4L
00
1120 160
CHLOROPHYLL
200
240
(JJO/L)
200
320
FIGURE 3.-The relationship between chemical oxy- sumption declined in samples which contained
gen demand and the consumption of dissolved oxygon
by bacterial communities utilizing heat-killed plank- no living algae or zooplankton, oxygen con
ton as a substrate. Samples were incubated in the sumption was still at a significant level. Under
natural conditions, photosynthesis is nil im
dark for 24 hr at 30 C.
mediately following the sudden death of a
between 15 and 35 C (Fig. 2). The increase bloom. Bacterial decomposition of the lead
was fairly linear for waters from ponds S-3, phytoplankton and the combined respiration
S-6, and S-14 which contained moderate den- of other organisms soon reduce dissolved
sities of plankton. Pond S-11 contained a oxygen concentrations below the critical level
dense bloom of the blue-green alga, Aphanizo- for fish survival. The rate of oxygen con imp
menon flos-aquee. Respiration by this organ- tion reported in Figure 3 may be lower than
ism increased rapidly between 25 and 35 C. hat found at a similar CO) in a pond follow
The temperature response curves yield Qto ing a phytoplankton (lie-off. Bacterial pop
values of i.5 to 2.0. Oxygen consumptioi, ulations in the heat killed samples may not
increased by an average of 1.74 times between have been present at as great a density as
20 and 30 C. Although depletion of dissolved found in natural waters. However, the con
oxygen in pond waters occasionally occurs in sumption oi oxygen by bacteria growing on a
substrate of dead plankton increases as a
early spring, most instances of oxygen deple
function of increasing COD.
water
when
tion are observed in the summer
A positive correlation existed between the
(Swingle,
above
or
C
28
temperatures are
of chlorophyll and concentrations of
amount
1968).
Much of the dissolved oxygen of water COD (Fig. 4). 'llis indicates that even in
samples was consumed through plankton res- ponds which received applications of feed,
piration. Bacterial decomposition of heat- plant production within the pond was the
killed plankton within a 24-hr period con- major source of COD. Boyd (1972a) reported
sumed less oxygen per unit of COD than did mean rates of carbon fixation by photosyn.
of 2.15, 2.49, 2.55 and 2.70 g carbon/
the combined processes of plankton respira- thesis
2
day in four ponds containing catfish
per
n
unaltered
in
tion and bacterial decompositi;on
heavy feed applications. As
received
which
the
on
Observations
3).
and
samples (Figs. 1
relationship of phytoplankton die-offs to suf- suming a value of 48% carbon in dried phy
focation of fish suggest that dead phytoplank- toplankton (Boyd and Lawrence, 1966) and
ton decomposes rapidly (Swingle, 1968). Data averaging values for the ponds, 5.32 g dry
in Figure 3 are not necessarily in disagreement weight/m-' of organic matter was produced
with this hypothesis. Although oxygen con- daily. This is 53 kg/ha per day or 9,540 kg/
610
1 00
CA0
0
.
f-0.2
OXIDIZE
DRY WEIGHT
0
0
10
PHYTOPLANKTONIN
IPC.1
IN"10)
CULTURES
MACROSCOPIC
(N.4)
ALGAE
HIGHER AQUATIC
(II , 9)
CPLANTS
0
4'0 o
0;o Ito
CHLOROPHYLL
O
240
(WO/L)
260
320
PARTICULATE
MATTER
N 15)
~(.5
FISH
(N-71
decomposition.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by Project
611
LAWRENCE, J.