Light and assimilation number in a small desert, recharged-groundwater pond

Measurements of irradiance, chlorophyll a concentration, respiration, and net and gross photosynthesis were carried out in a small desert pond containing recharged-groundwater from the Flushing Meadows water reclamation project at Phoenix, Arizona. Over the 6-month period May-October, chl. a concentration averaged 119 mg m^-3; and gross primary productivity in terms of the mean daily carbon fixation rate was 8.29 g C m^-3, which is roughly equal to productive fish and farm ponds but less than many polluted eutrophic lakes and streams. Both net and gross assimilation numbers were found to be satisfactorily represented by pure sine waves that implied total inhibition of those two processes near an underwater irradiance value of 0.32 cal cm^-2 min^-1.The maximum value of the gross assimilation number at 0.16 cal cm^-2 min^-1 of 30 mg C hr^-1 per mg chl. a ranked with some of the highest values that have been found world-wide.