Abstract
The river Kleine Elster was studied as a typical example of slowly running waters of the lowlands with dense growths of submerged macrophytes. Photosynthetic oxigenation was found to be a function of biomass and light intensity as long as the biomass did not exceed 250 g (dry mass) per square meter. Crops going beyond this limit caused a substantial decrease in oxygen supply in the early morning hours. A biomass exceeding 250 g/m2 also gave rise to critical situations in autumnal oxygen budget (dying of macrophytes), increased water level, retardation in flow and a drop in atmospheric oxigenation. Necessary management practices (cutting of weeds) were derived from the objective of stabilizing the oxygen balance.

This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit: