Reading the chapter on “Southern Plains Rivers” in the fine book Rivers of North America (2005, Academic Press) I came across this observation from W.J. Matthews:
in autumn of some years, major portions of the streambed [of the Canadian River in Oklahoma] can become encrusted with a thick layer of algae that appears to be highly productive and is, in fact, directly eaten by some of the common fishes.
Lost in many discussions of the shortcomings of biofuels is the fundamental fact that photosynthesis is the primary energy source for natural ecosystems. Photosynthesis has been sufficient to run the earth for several billion years. The question is can these biologically-based processes be developed in ways that work effectively in human technological terms?
While that’s no small question,I still come back to the ubiquitousness of algae around the earth. A few nutrients, some sunlight and water, and algae will grow in puddles just about anywhere. Surely ecological systems this robust have deep potential for ecosystem design.
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