Herbivory, Current Velocity and Algal Regrowth: How Does Periphyton Grow When the Grazers Have Gone?

eaten it? Does it grow faster or differently from un-grazed algae? To address these questions, an experiment conducted in streamside channels documented the re-growth of algae following grazing by two mayfly species. We found that algal re-growth did not depend on which mayfly species ate it; rather, it was the duration of grazing that mattered. The longer algae was grazed, the faster it grew. We also found that current velocity was important for determining algal recovery, such that grazed algae re-grew more rapidly in slow than in fast current. These data suggest that past herbivory leaves a “legacy” by influencing algal growth well after the grazing has stopped. . Herbivory, Current Velocity and Algal Regrowth: How Does Periphyton Grow When the Grazers Have Gone?