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Measurement of phytoplankton growth by particle counting
Author(s) -
Sheldon R. W.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1979.24.4.0760
Subject(s) - phytoplankton , exponential growth , plankton , detritus , environmental science , range (aeronautics) , oceanography , growth rate , biology , physics , mathematics , ecology , nutrient , geology , materials science , geometry , quantum mechanics , composite material
Growth of phytoplankton in the presence of detritus will follow an asymptotic function. It is theoretically possible to estimate the phytoplankton and detrital standing stock and the phytoplankton growth rates from serial measurements of particle concentration, but the measurements must be very precise, and in practice this is rarely attainable. Small errors in measurement produce large errors in the plankton and detrital estimates. To measure phytoplankton growth, the phytoplankton must be identified relative to its place on the size spectrum. Within a restricted size range particle growth is exponential and represents phytoplankton growth.