Studies in Stream Life in Tributaries of the Welsh Dee

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Abstract
Quantitative samples from the stony bed of some Welsh streams demonstrate the great variability in population density. Immature insects, especially chironomid larvae, Baetis and Leuctra nymphs, predominate. The population of the stony substratum was least dense during winter. Zooplankton is sparse in the streams, where the plankton consists chiefly of diatoms derived from the benthos. Moss has a richer microscopic fauna than gravel, mud or stones. The gut contents of many organisms contain forms feeding on algae and plant tissue (especially debris). Those animals shown to be most numerous are detritus feeders or phytophagous.