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Phosphorus versus nitrogen limitation in the marine environment 1
Author(s) -
Smith S. V.
Publication year - 1984
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.1984.29.6.1149
Subject(s) - phosphorus , marine ecosystem , environmental science , ecosystem , nitrogen , nutrient , aquatic ecosystem , environmental chemistry , ecology , oceanography , biology , chemistry , geology , organic chemistry
Limnological and marine geochemical opinion favors phosphorus limitation of organic production in aquatic environments, while marine biological opinion favors nitrogen limitation. Clues in the literature and nutrient budgets for selected marine ecosystems suggest that phosphorus vs. nitrogen limitation is a function of the relative rates of water exchange and internal biochemical processes acting to adjust the ratio of ecosystem N:P availability.