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Phytoplankton growth and phosphate uptake (for P limitation) by natural phytoplankton populations from the Loosdrecht lakes (The Netherlands) 1
Author(s) -
Riegman Roel,
Mur Luuc R.
Publication year - 1986
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.1986.31.5.0983
Subject(s) - phytoplankton , phosphate , phosphorus , biomass (ecology) , environmental science , zoology , biology , environmental chemistry , nutrient , ecology , chemistry , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Phosphate uptake capacity of natural phytoplankton populations was used as a physiological indicator of P limitation in the Loosdrecht lakes. During a substantial period of the growth season of 1983, P‐limited growth was observed in Lake Breukeleveen and Lake Loosdrecht, but P limitation was less severe in the latter. In Lake Breukeleveen the maximum initial phosphate uptake rate ( V m ) varied between 0.3 and 5.7 µ g P( µ g Chl) −1 h −1 during P‐limited growth, whereas in Lake Loosdrecht, V m varied between 0.3 and 2.1 µg P( µ g Chl) −1 h −1 . Both at the end of June and the beginning of July, growth was not P limited in either lake. Phytoplankton in Lake Loosdrecht was not limited by phosphorus in September. The frequent occurrence of P limitation led to the prediction that reduction of the P loadings of Lake Loosdrecht will result in a reduction of the phytoplankton biomass.