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Comparative ecology of marine and freshwater phytoplankton 1
Author(s) -
Kilham Peter,
Hecky Robert E.
Publication year - 1988
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.1988.33.4part2.0776
Subject(s) - phytoplankton , ecology , habitat , biology , ecological succession , nutrient , competition (biology)
Examination of models of nutrient‐limited growth and uptake, nutrient patchiness, resource competition, and r ‐ and K ‐selection with respect to marine and freshwater phytoplankton indicates that organisms from both habitats are ecologically similar. However, there are differences in the physiology and ecology of phytoplankton within a given habitat (either marine or freshwater) during the course of succession. Even though the identity and basic ecology of organisms that are present early and late in successional sequences are generally known, little is known about their physiology. Marked differences in uptake ability, storage capacity, and growth and loss rates will be found for phytoplankton that can be ranked along an r ‐ through K ‐selection continuum. This continuum can serve as a unifying concept in phytoplankton ecology.