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Hall, A. S. (1972). Migration and metabolism in a temperate stream ecosystem. Ecology. 53:585-604.

Fish migration, total stream metabolism, and phosphorus were studied in New Hope Creek, North Carolina, from April 1968 to June 1970. Upstream and downstream movement of fish was monitored using weirs with traps. Most of the 27 species had a consistent pattern of larger fish moving upstream and smaller fish moving downstream. Diurnal oxygen series were run to measure the metabolism of the aquatic community. Gross photosynthesis ranged from 0.21 to almost 9 g O₂ m^-2 day^-1, and community respiration from 0.4 to 13 g O₂ m^-2 day^-1 (mean of 290 and 479 g O₂ m^-2 day^-1). Both were highest in the spring. Production per volume and respiration per volume were always much larger near the headwaters than farther downstream, apparently due to the dilution effect of the deeper water downstream. Migration may maintain young fish in areas of high productivity. Other effects of migration may include: prey control, recolonization of defaunated regions, genetic exchange, and mineral distribution. An energy diagram was drawn comparing energies of isolation, leaf inputs, currents, total community respiration, fish populations, and migrations. About 1% of the total respiration of the stream was from fish populations, and over 1 year about 0.04% of the total energy used by the ecosystem was used for the process of migration. Each calorie invested by a fish population in migration returns at least 3 calories. Analysis of phosphorus entering and leaving the watershed indicated that flows were small relative to storages and that this generally undisturbed ecosystem is in approximate phosphorus balance. Upstream migrating fish were important in maintaining phosphorus reserves in the headwaters.