The Effect of Grazing by Tadpoles on the Structure of a Periphyton Community

Abstract

The species composition and standing crop of the algal epiphytes on the walls of experimental cages in a small lake were greatly altered following the emergence of frog tadpoles from eggs laid in the cages. The results support the hypothesis that tadpoles may be a major cause of the massive spring reduction in standing crop of filamentous green algae in the lake.