In Situ Measurement of Diel Periodicity in Urea Decomposition in a Reed Zone of Lake Biwa, Japan

Diel change in urea decomposition activity of epiphytic algae on Phragmites stems and phytoplankton in a shallow littoral reed zone in the south basin of Lake Biwa was investigated with an in situ technique using $^{14}C$-labelled urea. The daily rates of urea decomposition (sum of urea carbon incorporation rate and $CO_2$ liberation rate) by epiphytic and planktonic algae were calculated as 180 ${\mu}$ mole urea surface shoot area $m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$ and 210 ${\mu}$ mole urea $m^{-3}\;day^{-1}$. The chlorophyll a specific urea decomposition rates of epiphytic and planktonic algae were 4.7 to 6.4 and 4.4 to 6.2 ${\mu}$ mole urea mg chl. $a^{-1}$ incubation $time^{-1}$ in daytime and 4.2 to 5.7 and 2.4 to 3.5 ${\mu}$ mole urea mg chl. $a^{-1}\;time^{-1}$ in nighttime, respectively. High values were obtained during 12:00 ${\sim}$ 18:00 and low values during 00:00 ${\sim}$ 06:00 for both epiphytic and planktonic algal communities. A clear diel periodicity in the urea decomposing activity of the planktonic algae was observed. The activity of the epiphytic algae, on the other hand, showed no destinctive variation during a day. The present results indicate that epiphytic algae are one of the significant urea decomposers in a reed zone, and that the diel patterns are quite difference between both algal communities.