Experimental Degradation of Plant Materials in Hudson River Sediments. I. Heterotrophic Transformations of Plant Pigments

We examined photopigment degradation and transformation in sediment microcosms that received different detrital source materials (planktonic, littoral, terrestrial) in the presence or absence of amphidpods (Gammarus sp.). Additions of realistic quantities of particulate organic matter resulted in de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biogeochemistry 1991-03, Vol.12 (3), p.171-187
Main Authors: Bianchi, Thomas S., Findlay, Stuart, Fontvieille, Dominique
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biological pigments
Carotenoids
Chlorophyllides
Chlorophylls
Fresh water ecosystems
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Material degradation
Microcosms
Pigments
Plant products
Plants
Sediments
Synecology
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Summary:We examined photopigment degradation and transformation in sediment microcosms that received different detrital source materials (planktonic, littoral, terrestrial) in the presence or absence of amphidpods (Gammarus sp.). Additions of realistic quantities of particulate organic matter resulted in detectable changes in pigment concentration and composition despite insignificant changes in total organic matter. The transformation of chlorophyll a to total phaeophorbide was significantly higher in all high quality (high nitrogen) detritus treatments containing amphipods. The highest production of phaeophorbide was in the higher quality detritus (blue-green algae, Anabaena cylindrica, and macrophyte, Vallisneria americana) when compared to red maple (Acer rubrum). Phaeophytin formation was not related to amphipod grazing and thus may be determined more by microbial heterotrophic processes. The degradation product of the carotenoid lutein, lutein 5,6 expoxide, was formed in all treatments. Phaeopigment composition can be used to infer differences in heterotrophic activity and will help in the interpretation of photopigment distribution in field samples.
ISSN:0168-2563
1573-515X
DOI:10.1007/BF00002606