Sedell, James R. 1972. Studying streams as a biological unit. In: Research on coniferous forest ecosystems: first year progress in the coniferous forest biome, US/IBP: Proceedings of a symposium; Bellingham, WA. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station: 281-287.
The case for viewing and studying streams from the standpoint of processors of materials and energy insteadof exporters from the forest is elaborated. The unique opportunity for stream and terrestrial biogeochemicalinvestigators to cooperate and be coinvestigators on the same stream systems is explored and specific programsare identified.
The shift in emphasis from standing crop sampling and instantaneous ingestion and growth information toprocess studies utilizing radioisotope material balance experiments and carbon flux experiments is explained.Short term experiments using radioisotopes as food markers are described and discussed as to their usefulness indetermining the effect of food quality on ingestion rates and assimilation efficiencies.