XVI International Botanical Congess
A two-second pulse of saturating irradiance was used to generate a chlorophyll a fluorescence induction curve from dark-adapted Selenastrum capricornutum grown in situ within streams of differing water quality. Induction-curve cardinal points and cardinal-point ratios are used to describe the use of chlorophyll a fluorescence to examine the effects of water quality on primary photochemistry. The results demonstrate that chlorophyll a fluorescence is an effective tool to examine the effects of water quality on photosystem II function and development.