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Resource competition among saline‐lake diatoms under varying N/P ratio, salinity and anion composition
Author(s) -
Saros Jasmine E.,
Fritz Sherilyn C.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
freshwater biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2427
pISSN - 0046-5070
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2427.2002.00781.x
Subject(s) - chaetoceros , taxon , competition (biology) , salinity , biology , diatom , bicarbonate , algae , ecology , botany , zoology , nutrient , phytoplankton , endocrinology
1. A series of resource competition experiments were performed with four diatom taxa isolated from saline lakes in the Northern Great Plains of North America. Three variables were tested in a factorial design: N/P ratio (6 : 1, 12 : 1, 24 : 1, 48 : 1), salinity (5, 8, 11‰), and anion composition (sulphate versus bicarbonate‐dominated medium). 2. Coexistence of Chaetoceros elmorei , Cyclotella quillensis , and Cymbella pusilla occurred at the two lowest N/P ratios. These three taxa have similar N requirements and thus competitive exclusion by the taxon with the lowest N requirement may have required more time. 3. Anomoeoneis costata , which had the highest nitrogen requirements and slowest growth rate of these four taxa, declined in all cases. Cyclotella biovolume concentration consistently declined at the two highest N/P ratios, indicating a higher P requirement, which is consistent with its distribution pattern. 4. In general, we found opposite trends with respect to all variables for Chaetoceros , a taxon that mainly inhabits sulphate systems, versus Cymbella , a bicarbonate‐associated taxon. Our results suggest that Cymbella may be found mainly in bicarbonate systems because of a higher C requirement, whereas Chaetoceros may be less abundant in these systems, in part, because of competitive interactions with bicarbonate‐associated taxa.