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Maximal growth rates of Antarctic phytoplankton: Only weak dependence on cell size
Author(s) -
Sommer Ulrich
Publication year - 1989
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.1989.34.6.1109
Subject(s) - phytoplankton , growth rate , cell size , diatom , growth model , biology , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , oceanography , physics , mathematics , ecology , geology , nutrient , geometry , mathematical economics , microbiology and biotechnology
Maximal growth rates of 15 Antarctic phytoplankton species at 0°C ranged from 0.32 to 0.72 d −1 , showing only a weak dependence on cell size. Comparisons were made with two models for size dependence of temperature‐corrected rates of maximal growth. Schlesinger's general phytoplankton model predicts a strong size dependence of growth rates and grossly underestimates the maximal growth rates of the larger species, but gives reasonable estimates for the smallest ones. Banse's marine diatom model assumes a weak size dependence of growth rates and gives generally better predictions.