| Sumario: |
The rates of sedimentation and resuspension of organic carbon and total nitrogen were
measured in earthen fishponds, based on nutrient input, water quality parameters and fish size and biomass. Material collected in sediment traps and soil samples were analyzed for organic carbon, total nitrogen, iron and aluminum concentrations. A dilution analysis method was used to differentiate between sedimented and resuspended particles. The rates of sedimentation and resuspension estimated from total solids increased during the experiment, ranging from 49.8 to 218.1 g/m2 per day in the case of sedimentation and from 39.2 to 160.0 g/m2 per day in the case of resuspension. Although fish weight increased through time, the relative resuspension did not change significantly, ranging from 42 to 47% of the total collected material. Total solids sedimentation and resuspension rates were highly correlated (P 0.01) to fish weight and biomass, chlorophyll-a, total suspended solids, total feed input and Secchi disk visibility.
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