The impact of environmental flows on the microbial assimilation of dissolved organic carbon and lower food web productivity

Project Member(s): Mitrovic, S.

Funding or Partner Organisation: NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment

Start year: 2021

Summary: Riverine food webs are driven by periodic pulses of energy and nutrients delivered by flow events. During times of increased river discharge, particulate organic matter, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and nutrients trapped in dry river benches, riparian zones, and floodplains are mobilised and transported into the river channel. This influx of basal resources drives increased microbial and primary productivity, in turn making terrestrial energy and nutrients available to the higher food web. This project aim to 1. To assess the ability of basal resources supplied by environmental flows to support instream microbial productivity 2. To investigate the impact of environmental flows on instream bacterial production (BP) and growth efficiency (BGE) 3. To understand how environmental flows support instream productivity in zooplankton 4. To characterise the change in bacterial and zooplankton community composition during environmental flows

FOR Codes: Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Environments, Environmental management, Assessment and management of benthic marine ecosystems, Assessment and management of pelagic marine ecosystems

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.