Translocation of Epipelic Biofilms and Their Short-Term Responses to Urbanization Impacts in Nutrient Rich Streams

Abstract Stream biofilms are among the first to react environmental degradation, since their structural and functional characteristics tightly linked physicochemical variables in water sediment. The objectives of this research were study differences chlorophyll-a, bacterial density metabolism endpoints epipelic nutrient-rich streams under different physical-chemical conditions stream relation changes urbanization, measure short-term responses (up 72 h) biofilm when translocated more urbanized sites. For these purposes, density, respiration (electron transfer activity) O2 consumption measured exposed levels urbanization after a 30 day colonization. Afterward, downstream polluted sites, sampled identify any fast occurring be considered as potential indicators degradation. Results show that studied, even short time following translocation, chlorophyll-a varied, reflecting On other hand, metabolic highly variable produced inconsistent results representing an increase urbanization.