EFFECT OF NITROGEN ADDITION ON A MIXED SPECIES PHYTOPLANKTON BLOOM

The Laguna Madre of Texas is a hypersaline lagoon that in recent years has been dominated by the brown tide alga, Aureoumbra lagunensis although a Synechococcus -like sub-dominant is typically present. Dominance of A. lagunensis is thought to be due at least in part to its nitrogen competitive abilities. A mesocosm study was performed to determine if an increase in ambient nitrogen concentration would lead to a shift in the dominant alga. Twelve fiberglass cylinders enclosing 1.2 cubic meters of Laguna Madre water were deployed for 16 days. Four times during this period, ammonium was added (N+ mesocosms) to half the mesocosms to achieve a post-addition concentration of approximately 40 mM. The average initial particulate N/P ratio was 40/1 (SD = 2.9) which recent evidence indicates is within the range of N/P ratios for N-limited A. lagunensis. In control mesocosms, total cell biovolume (TCB) of A. lagunensis cells dropped after 4 days by a factor of four and then increased to a level slightly above the day 0 value by day 16. In N+ mesocosms, A. lagunensis TCB was unchanged after 4 days then doubled by day 16. Despite the differences in final yield, growth rates of A. lagunensis in the two treatments were similar. The Synechococcus -like organism, showed a four-day lag before TCB in both treatments increased although at a slower rate in the control mesocosms. By the end of the experiment, TCB of A. lagunensis was two to six-times greater than that of subdominant. Despite the nitrogen treatment, A. lagunensis retained dominance.     

Competition between the green alga Scenedesmus and the cyanobacterium Synechococcus under different modes of inorganic nitrogen supply

In this study, we evaluated growth responses of the green alga Scenedesmus and the cyanobacterium Synechococcus supplied with inorganic nitrogen in different ways. A competitive situation in which nitrogen was limiting was created in mixed cultures as well as in cultures growing in the same vessel but separated by a permeable dialysis membrane. Supplying inorganic nitrogen in small pulses at a high frequency favoured the cyanobacterium Synechococcus, whereas batch additions favoured the green alga Scenedesmus. When using a large-pulse/low-frequency supply mode, the yield of the green alga was higher when ammonium was added as nitrogen source compared to when nitrate was added. By contrast, the yield of the cyanobacterium was higher in the nitrate regime. However, uptake experiments using unialgal cultures showed that both organisms depleted the medium of ammonium more rapidly than they depleted the medium of nitrate; i.e. the higher yield of the cyanobacterium in the nitrate regime than in the ammonium regime can be attributed to the effects of competition with the green alga. Since nitrate assimilation involves the consumption of reductive power, we suggest that the outcome of competition was governed by the fact that green alga was light limited and therefore better able to compete for ammonium than for nitrate. The results from the laboratory studies are discussed in relation to results from an enclosure experiment performed in Lake Erken, Sweden. In that field experiment, in which additions of both phosphate and ammonium were applied every second day to 350-l enclosures, the green algal biomass increased exponentially during an incubation period of 22 days.     

Stimulation of the brown tide organism, Aureococcus anophagefferens, by selective nutrient additions to in situ mesocosms

The influence of nutrient additions and sediment exchange on Aureococcus anophagefferens growth was studied using 200 l mesocosms deployed in situ at the Southampton College Marine Science Center in Long Island, New York. A. anophagefferens cell density increased in mesocosms with separate additions of the following materials: urea + glucose and desiccation-stressed Enteromorpha tissue. A decrease in A. anophagefferens cell density was observed in mesocosms with either no additions (control) or with added nitrate. A treatment containing a sediment layer exhibited an increase in average cell densities, but the increase was not statistically significant (P = 0.15). In the 9 day experiment, net growth of A. anophagefferens was only observed during the last 3 days, which corresponded to a period of high solar irradiation. Total chlorophyll concentration declined in all treatments during the first 6 days, which corresponded to relatively low daily irradiance, suggesting low-light stress on the phytoplankton assemblage during the initial phase of the experiment. During the ensuing sunny period, a 4–5-fold increase in chlorophyll concentration was observed in the nitrate and urea treatments with lesser increases in the other treatments. A. anophagefferens density increased relative to total phytoplankton biomass (Chl basis) in the urea + glucose and Enteromorpha treatments. Results are consistent with a prevailing hypothesis that organic nitrogen nutrients favor the growth of A. anophagefferens. Specifically, our evidence indicates that A. anophagefferens exhibited net population growth under organic N, but not inorganic N nutrient (specifically NO₃⁻) loading.     

Microbial herbivory on the brown tide alga, Aureococcus anophagefferens: results from natural ecosystems, mesocosms and laboratory experiments

Experiments were conducted with natural plankton assemblages from two areas in Great South Bay (GSB) and the Peconic Bays Estuary System, NY, to compare the rates of growth and pelagic grazing mortality of Aureococcus anophagefferens with co-occurring phytoplankton. We hypothesized that A. anophagefferens would experience low mortality rates by microbial herbivores (relative to feeding pressure on other algae) thus providing it with a competitive advantage within the phytoplankton community. In fact, substantial rates of mortality were observed in nearly every experiment in our study. However, mortality rates of A. anophagefferens were less than intrinsic growth rates of the alga during late spring and early summer in Great South Bay, resulting in positive net growth rates for the alga during that period. This timing coincided with the development of a brown tide in this estuary. Similarly, growth rates of the alga also exceeded mortality rates during bloom development in natural plankton assemblages from the Peconic Bays Estuary System held in mesocosms. In contrast to the situation for A. anophagefferens, growth rates of the total phytoplankton assemblage, and another common picoplanktonic phytoplankter (Synechococcus spp.), were frequently less than their respective mortality rates. Mortality rates of A. anophagefferens in both systems were similar to growth rates of the alga during later stages of the bloom. Laboratory studies confirmed that species of phagotrophic protists that consume A. anophagefferens (at least in culture) are present during brown tides but preference for or against the alga appears to be species-specific among phagotrophic protists. We conclude that two scenarios may explain our results: (1) protistan species capable of consuming the brown tide alga were present at low abundances during bloom initiation and thus not able to respond rapidly to increases in the intrinsic growth rate of the alga, or (2) the brown tide alga produced substance(s) that inhibited or retarded protistan grazing activities during the period of bloom initiation. The latter scenario seems less likely given that significant mortality of A. anophagefferens was measured during our field study and mesocosm experiment. However, even a minor reduction in mortality rate due to feeding selectivity among herbivores might result in a mismatch between growth and grazing of A. anophagefferens that could give rise to significant net population growth of this HAB species. Either scenario infers an important role for trophic interactions within the plankton as a factor explaining the development of brown tides in natural ecosystems.     

Toxin production in migrating dinoflagellates: a modelling study of PSP producing Alexandrium

A mechanistic model of dinoflagellate physiology, previously developed and parameterised to simulate paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) content and cell growth for Alexandrium fundyense in response to N and P nutrition, was operated within a vertical water structure in which the organism migrated. Simulations showed the expected development of vertical migration behaviour in response to light and mineral nutrient interactions. Growth in a N-limited water column resulted in a continual, though low level, PSP production with a large population biomass. A sequence of P-stress and nutrient re-feeding during vertical migration stimulated an enhancement of PSP content even with only moderately elevated supply of N:P ratios. This was exacerbated by low absolute P concentrations below the nutricline as well as by the N:P ratio. Although the final biomass was lower in these P-limited simulations, the total toxin production was much higher. The simulations suggest that vertical migration in stratified waters in even moderately high N:P waters could result in the formation of highly toxic populations of Alexandrium. One may expect a similar enhancement of toxicity in other harmful algal species that are engaged in vertical migration, where nutrient supply ratios affect toxin production.     

Foraging behavior of redheads (Aythya americana) wintering in Texas and Louisiana

Redheads, Aythya americana, concentrate in large numbers annually in traditional wintering areas along the western and northern rim of the Gulf of Mexico. Two of these areas are the Laguna Madre of Texas and Chandeleur Sound of Louisiana. We collected data on 54,340 activities from 103 redhead flocks in Texas and 51,650 activities from 57 redhead flocks in Louisiana. Males and females fed similarly, differing neither in levels of feeding (percent of all birds in flock that were feeding) (p>0.90) nor in percentages of birds feeding by diving, tipping, dipping, or gleaning from the surface (p>0.10). The foraging level of redheads in the upper Laguna Madre region was relatively constant throughout two winters. Foraging of redheads in early winter in Louisiana was significantly greater than redhead foraging in the upper Laguna Madre, but by late winter, foraging by redheads in Louisiana had declined to the same level as that shown by redheads foraging in the upper Laguna Madre. The overall foraging level of redheads from Chandeleur Sound was greater (41%) than that of redheads in the upper Laguna Madre (26%), yet it was quite similar to the 46% foraging level reported for redheads from the lower Laguna Madre. Redheads in the upper Laguna Madre region of Texas fed more by diving than did those in the Chandeleur Sound and the lower Laguna Madre. Diving increased in frequency in late winter. Greater reliance by redheads on diving in January and February indicates that the birds altered their foraging to feed in deeper water, suggesting that the large concentrations of redheads staging at this time for spring migration may have displaced some birds to alternative foraging sites. Our results imply that the most likely period for food resources to become limiting for wintering redheads is when they are staging in late winter.     

模拟N沉降下三种林分土壤营养动态分析

通过模拟N沉降实验,设置对照(CK,0 g N m~(-2)a~(-1));低氮(LN,5 g N m~(-2)a~(-1));中氮(MN,10 g N m~(-2)a~(-1));高氮(HN,15 g N m~(-2)a~(-1))4种N处理,以NH_4NO_3为外源N来研究福建省三明格氏栲自然保护区内板栗人工林、观光木人工林及米槠天然林0—10 cm土层养分变化动态。结果表明:N沉降会使板栗人工林土壤显著酸化,P含量降低,在一些时间段内,中高水平的N沉降会显著降低有机C、全N和速效N含量,中或低水平N沉降会显著降低土壤全P和速效P含量,而从第6个月起只有LN处理会显著降低土壤K含量。N沉降总体上会不同程度地提高观光木人工林土壤p H值、有机C、全N和速效N含量,有时影响会达显著或极显著水平;比较而言,LN和HN处理更会造成土壤全P的富集,而MN处理对速效P的影响更显著;LN和HN处理也会显著增加K含量,且以LN处理的效果更稳定。总体上N沉降量越大米槠天然林土壤酸化越显著;N沉降会使其有机C和速效P量显著波动;实验期间,HN处理会显著降低土壤全N和速效N量,而LN与MN处理则会使速效N和K含量增加;在4种处理下全P含量会呈相同趋势波动,差异不显著。     

NUTRIENT-LIMITED GROWTH OF AUREOUMBRA LAGUNENSIS (PELAGOPHYCEAE), WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR ITS CAPABILITY TO OUTGROW OTHER PHYTOPLANKTON SPECIES IN PHOSPHATE-LIMITED ENVIRONMENTS

Growth and chemical compositional characteristics of the brown tide-forming alga, Aureoumbra lagunensis Stockwell, DeYoe, Hargraves et Johnson, were studied through a series of nitrogen-limited and phosphate-limited continuous cultures over a range of growth rates. The specific growth rate of A. lagunensis was hyperbolically related to the cell quota of the limiting nutrient in ammonium-limited cultures. In phosphate-limited cultures, the relationship was best described by a straight line. The N cell quota of A. lagunensis ranges from about 20 fmol at zero growth rate under N-limited conditions to a high of roughly 85 fmol under N-replete conditions. Similarly, the P cell quota of A. lagunensis ranges from about 0.15 fmol at zero growth rate under P-limited conditions to a high of 2 fmol under P-replete conditions. Aureoumbra lagunensis has a very high N:P critical ratio (>100). The high N:P critical ratio, as well as the organism's apparent ability to use forms of phosphorus other than phosphate under severe phosphate deficiency, may partially explain its success in P-limited environments, such as the Laguna Madre. In addition, a uniqe quadratic relationship between the productivity index (PI) and growth rate was discovered. Such a relationship supports an earlier argument that PI may not be a good indicator of nutritional status.     

不同林龄尾巨桉人工林凋落物和土壤C、N、P化学计量特征

为正确认识桉树(Eucalyptus spp.)人工林凋落物和土壤C、N、P时空分配格局及两者间的关系,对5个林龄尾巨桉林分凋落物及土壤C、N、P含量及化学计量比进行测定分析。结果表明,凋落物的C含量均显著大于土壤,且不同林龄间凋落物C含量无显著差异,1年生人工林土壤表层(0~20 cm)的C含量显著小于3~7年生,其他土层C含量在不同林龄间差异不显著。凋落物的N含量均显著高于土壤,且1年生人工林显著大于其他林龄的,而土壤表层的N含量以7年生人工林最大,1年生的最小。凋落物的P含量除1年生人工林显著大于3年生外,其他林龄间均无显著差异,土壤的P含量在不同林龄间的差异均不显著。凋落物C∶N随林龄呈逐渐增大趋势,且显著大于土壤层。凋落物的C∶P和N∶P在不同林龄间的差异不显著,但均显著大于土壤层。凋落物的N含量与表层土壤的C、N含量呈极显著负相关,凋落物的C∶N与表层土壤的C∶P,N∶P呈显著正相关,表层土壤C、N积累受到凋落物N的制约。因此,在桉树人工林经营管理过程中如何降低凋落物分解的N限制性、提高养分传递效率及合理施肥显得十分重要。     

两株聚球藻伴生细菌分离纯化与促生功能鉴定

【背景】蓝藻周围存在伴生细菌,伴生细菌与蓝藻具有复杂的作用关系。【目的】研究淡水聚球藻伴生细菌对聚球藻生长的影响。【方法】采用高通量测序分析聚球藻伴生细菌多样性;平板划线法纯化聚球藻伴生细菌,通过形态观察结合16S rRNA基因序列同源性比对,对其种属关系进行确定;通过聚球藻和不同浓度伴生细菌共培养测定其叶绿素a浓度,分析伴生细菌对聚球藻生长的影响;采用种子发芽试验验证伴生细菌促生功能。【结果】淡水聚球藻伴生细菌优势菌属为产卟啉杆菌属(Porphyrobacter)、根瘤菌属(Rhizobium)、水单胞菌属(Aquimonas)和中慢生根瘤菌属(Mesorhizobium),从聚球藻分离获得了两株伴生细菌JQ1和JQ2,基于16S rRNA基因序列鉴定其分别属于Rhizobium和Peribacillus,通过在聚球藻与不同浓度伴生细菌共培养及水稻发芽试验验证,证明伴生细菌JQ1和JQ2在菌藻比例分别为5:1和15:1时具有促生作用,都对增强秧苗素质和根系发育有一定影响但JQ2与JQ1相比能显著提高水稻种子的发芽率。【结论】淡水聚球藻伴生细菌JQ1和JQ2在适宜的浓度均可显著促进聚球...     

黄土丘陵区刺槐与油松人工林生态系统生态化学计量特征

为阐明不同人工林生态系统间生态化学计量特征的差异,采用野外采样与室内分析相结合的方式分析了陕北黄土丘陵区落叶阔叶树种刺槐和常绿针叶树种油松人工林乔木、灌草、枯落物和土壤(土层深度0—100cm)C、N、P化学计量特征。结果表明:1)刺槐乔木各器官(叶、枝、干、皮、根)C含量显著低于油松,但N和P含量显著高于油松。因此,油松的C∶N和C∶P显著大于刺槐,而N∶P小于刺槐。2)刺槐林下枯落物N和P含量显著高于油松,但C含量显著小于油松。此外,油松林下枯落物C∶N(70.21)大于刺槐林下枯落物C∶N(19.71),说明油松林下枯落物分解较慢,有利于养分的存储。3)刺槐和油松人工林土壤C、N含量均随土壤深度增加而减少,P含量则基本保持不变。刺槐人工林土壤中C含量低于油松,N、P含量在两者之间无显著差异。4)刺槐人工林内乔灌草叶、枯落物与土壤C、N、P及其计量比的相关性多集中在10—20、20—30cm土层,而油松林中各组分与土壤营养元素的相关性相对较小,其中20—30cm土层中无显著相关性,说明相比刺槐人工林而言,油松人工林内土壤层N、P供应量对植物叶片N、P含量影响不显著。本研究为深入了解黄土丘陵区生态系统养分耦合循环机制奠定了基础,同时也为黄土丘陵区的植被恢复工作提供了一定的指导意义。     

Effects of mesozooplankton removal and ammonium addition on planktonic trophic structure during a bloom of the Texas 'brown tide': a mesocosm study

A bloom of the alga Aureoumbra lagunensis, known as the Texas‘brown tide’, persisted in the Laguna Madre of Texasfor most of the 1990s. The dominant mesozooplankter in LagunaMadre, Acartia tonsa, does not feed on A. lagunensis, and duringblooms there are few other suitably sized phytoplankton cellsavailable to feed on. We hypothesized that these copepods increasedtheir feeding on microzooplankton, thereby reducing grazingpressure by microzooplankton on A. lagunensis and contributingto the persistence of this bloom. A mesocosm experiment wascarried out to test this hypothesis during the summer of 1999.Twelve fiberglass corral-type mesocosms were deployed in thefield for 16 days, each enclosing 1.2 m³ of Laguna Madre waterand 1.1 m² of natural benthos. Mesozooplankton were removedfrom six mesocosms with a 153 µm mesh dip net every 4days; the other six mesocosms were treated in the same way,except that the contents of the net were returned to the mesocosm.For each zooplankton treatment, half of the mesocosms were dosedwith 40 µm NH₄ at 4 day intervals, and half received noadditions. Phytoplankton populations in these mesocosms at thestart of the experiment were dominated by A. lagunensis andthe cyanobacterium Synechococcus spp. Growth rates of A. lagunensiswere higher in mesocosms without ammonium additions, providingno evidence for nitrogen limitation. Acartia tonsa populationswere reduced by 50% in the zooplankton removal mesocosms, andciliate populations were significantly higher. The increasein ciliate population had no significant impact on A. lagunensispopulation dynamics, however, providing no evidence to supportthe hypothesis that a trophic cascade reducing microzooplanktonpopulations contributed to the persistence of the brown-tidebloom. In contrast, populations of Synechococcus sp. showedevidence of both ‘top–down’ and ‘bottom–up’control; they grew faster in nutrient addition mesocosms andhad lower populations in mesocosms with increased densitiesof ciliate grazers.     

干旱胁迫下胡杨实生幼苗氮素吸收分配与利用

胡杨(Populus euphratica)是塔里木河流域荒漠河岸林的建群种,水分和氮素是限制胡杨幼苗的存活及早期生长的主要因子。利用~(15)N同位素示踪技术分析水和氮素的交互作用对胡杨幼苗不同生长阶段氮素的吸收分配利用及幼苗生长的影响,进一步探究氮素对胡杨实生苗早期形态建成的作用及对干旱胁迫的缓解效应,以期提高幼苗的存活率。实验以一年生胡杨实生幼苗为研究对象,采用温室内盆栽实验,设置4个干旱处理(D_1、D_2、D_3、D_4,土壤相对含水量为:20%—25%、40%—45%、60%—65%、80%—85%)和3种氮素水平(N_0、N_1、N_2:0、3、6 g/盆)测定胡杨幼苗的生长指标和各部分的Ndff、分配率及利用率。结果表明:胡杨幼苗在土壤相对含水量60%—65%(D_3)、氮素添加量3 g/盆(N_1)时,其生长表现为最佳状态;干旱胁迫下,不同氮素添加量对胡杨幼苗各部分的Ndff值存在显著差异,N_2低于N_1;随干旱胁迫减弱(D_3、D_4),植株在生长早期(25 d)根部吸收的~(15)N优先向地上部分转运,生长后期(75 d)植株Ndff最高,其中以根系中Ndff最高;不同生长期幼苗各部分的~(15)N分配存在显著差异,根系~(15)N分配率较高,但不同氮量处理间差异不显著;随生长期的推移,植株对~(15)NH_4~(15)NO_3的利用率表现为粗根最大,各处理中D_3N_1处理均显著高于其他处理。结论:轻度干旱胁迫下添加适量的氮素能够增强植株对氮素的吸收征调能力,优化水资源获取以维持生存的重要机制。     

圆叶玉兰叶片非结构性碳水化合物与氮、磷含量对海拔的响应

非结构性碳水化合物(non-structural carbohydrates, NSC)、氮(N)和磷(P)是植物生长的重要能源物质和影响植物分布的限制生长因子,圆叶玉兰(Magnolia sinensis)是四川省特有的珍稀濒危极小种群野生植物,研究其NSC、N和P可以反映它的营养供应水平及对环境的适应策略。选取芦山6个海拔梯度(1840,1960,2070,2170,2270,2390 m)的圆叶玉兰为对象,研究不同海拔下圆叶玉兰叶片中NSC与N、P及其化学计量间的关系。结果表明,圆叶玉兰叶片可溶性糖含量在2390 m处显著高于1840 m处, NSC含量在不同海拔差异极显著,随海拔增加呈"低-高-低"的单峰变化,2170 m处叶片NSC含量最高,碳水化合物供应充足;可溶性糖/淀粉的比值随海拔升高呈增大趋势,N含量和N/P比都随海拔上升而下降,且N/P比在各海拔上均小于14,NSC/N比在2390 m处显著高于1840 m处。总之,圆叶玉兰叶片的可溶性糖和NSC含量显著不受海拔的影响,较高的可溶性糖含量有利于抵御低温环境,其生长主要受氮元素限制而不受碳限制,反映了濒危植物圆叶玉兰在其有限的分布范围内NSC及N、P的保护策略,为圆叶玉兰的碳代谢和生长适应对策提供数据基础。     

The effect of different plant nutrient regimes on the aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae growing on petunia

Three experiments were conducted to study how nutrient content of the host plant, Petunia axillaris hybrida Villm. Grandiflora Group, affects the performance of Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) (Homoptera: Aphididae). Aphid performance was analysed in relation to plant nutrient levels and the ratio of nitrogen to potassium (N/K). Phosphorus (P) had a positive effect on several parameters of aphid performance. Both P and K were associated with a short development time but a strong correlation between P and K content made it impossible to detect their relative importance. In one experiment aphid performance was significantly lower on unfertilised plants with low N content, suggesting a positive effect of N. A high N/K ratio did not, in general, increase aphid performance. The complexity of plant nutrient content on aphid performance suggests that not only nutrient levels but also ratios of nutrients must be considered.     

Nutrient limitation of Microcystis aeruginosa in northern California Klamath River reservoirs

Nutrient limitations were investigated in Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs, on the Klamath River in California, where blooms of the toxin-producing cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa were first reported in 2005. Nutrient enrichment experiments conducted in situ in June and August, 2007 and 2008, determined responses in phytoplankton biomass, Microcystis abundance and microcystin concentration to additions of phosphorus and different forms of nitrogen (NH₄⁺, NO₃, and urea). Microcystis abundance was determined using quantitative PCR targeting the phycocyanin intergenic spacer cpcBA.Total phytoplankton biomass increased with additions of N both before and during Microcystis blooms, with no primary effects from P, suggesting overall N limitation for phytoplankton growth during the summer season. NH₄⁺ generally produced the greatest response in phytoplankton growth, while Microcystis abundance increased in response to all forms of N. Microcystis doubling time in the in situ experiments was 1.24–1.39 days when N was not limiting growth. The results from this study suggest availability of N during the summer is a key growth-limiting factor for the initiation and maintenance of toxic Microcystis blooms in Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs in the Klamath River.     

Does the Redfield ratio infer nutrient limitation in the macroalga Spirogyra fluviatilis?

1. The cellular nutrient contents of microalgae, when growing at or approaching maximum rates, approximate the Redfield C : N : P (molar) ratio of 106 : 16 : 1. Deviations from this optimal ratio can be used to infer nutrient limitation of microalgal growth. However, this ratio may not be applicable to macroalgae, which are distinguished from microalgae by forming a thallus that is a discrete structure visible to the naked eye. The utility of the Redfield ratio to infer nutrient limitation of the growth of macroalgae was tested for Spirogyra fluviatilis in a field experiment conducted in tropical Australia. 2. The optimal cellular C : N : P ratio for S. fluvialitis was estimated by means of in situ nutrient addition. This was compared with S. fluvialitis cellular ratios determined from eight sites with a wide range of soluble N concentrations (<1–90 μg L^?1), a smaller range of soluble P concentrations (5–12 μg L^?1), and soluble molar N : P ratios of 0.11– 27. 3. Spirogyra fluviatilis had an optimal molar C : N : P ratio of 1800 : 87 : 1 which differs substantially from the Redfield ratio, and suggests that the latter ratio is not applicable to this macroalga. Concentrations of N and P in the river deviated from the optimal N : P ratio of 87 : 1, inferring nutrient limitation of growth. 4. C : P and C : N ratios of S. fluviatilis varied in accordance with general stoichiometric relationships for autotrophs under nutrient limitation of growth. Ratios of C : P and C : N increased, respectively, with increased severity of P‐ and N‐limitation. Additionally, C : P ratios increased with increased N : P ratios, whilst the C : N ratio increased with decreased N : P ratios. The C : N molar ratio however was an insensitive indicator of nutrient depletion compared with the C : P ratio. Under N‐limitation of growth, luxury amounts of P were stored by S. fluviatilis. 5. In aquatic environments where macroalgae are sufficiently abundant to be sampled, their cellular carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry can be used to infer nutrient limitation of growth when their optimal C : N : P ratio is known.     

Living in a Phaeocystis colony: a way to be a successful algal species

Evidence is provided showing that in two species of Phaeocystis (P. globosa and P. pouchetii) the colonial cells possess a much higher growth rate than the single cells when grown under identical conditions. Based on the DNA-cell-cycle method gross growth rate of colony cells exceeded those of co-occurring single cells by a factor 1.5 up to 3.8. The dominance of colonies in blooms of Phaeocystis can therefore be primarily due to their significantly high growth rate allowing a rapid bloom formation.Both Phaeocystis species showed ultradian growth but differed in timing of the initiation of the second DNA replication phase. In both species the first DNA-replication period started at the end of the (local) light period and was completed in the early dark period. In P. globosa this was immediately followed by the second DNA-replication period (first half of the dark period). In P. pouchetii this process was delayed by ca. 12 h until the middle of the light period (local noon).Flow cytometric analysis of the cell size and chlorophyll fluorescence showed little variation in colony and single cells of P. pouchetii. In contrast, colonies of P. globosa showed often the presence of two cell morphs, co-occurring in the same colony. The size of both morphs was identical but they differed in chlorophyll fluorescence up to a factor 4. In general the high chlorophyll cell morph dominated (>70% of the total colony cells). Both colony cell morphs were observed in cultures, mesocosms differing in N/P ratio but also in the field.     

Seasonal and interannual dynamics of polyphenols in Myriophyllum verticillatum and their allelopathic activity on Anabaena variabilis

In 4 successive years, we investigated the seasonal and interannual variability of the total polyphenolic pool and of the individual polyphenolic compounds in Myriophyllum verticillatum, as well as their allelopathic activity in a small eutrophic lake. We tested whether nutrient availability explained interannual and seasonal changes in the production of polyphenols. There were no strong interannual variations in plant tissue carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, while total phenolic compounds (TPC) significantly differed between years, especially in apical meristems (range: 38–122 mg g⁻¹  dry weight (DW)). Seasonal patterns, with maxima between May and July, changed between years. Partially confirming the carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis sensu Bryant et al. [Bryant, J.P., Chapin III, F.S., Klein, D.R., 1983. Carbon/nutrient balance of boreal plants in relation to vertebrate herbivory. Oikos 40, 357–368], we found correlations between TPC and the C/N (carbon/nitrogen) ratio in some but not all years, especially in apical meristems. Plant tissue phosphorus content accounted also for the variability in TPC in some years. Crude extracts of apical meristems always inhibited the growth of Anabaena variabilis, used as a target cyanobacterium. Plant TPC concentration and allelopathic activity were significantly correlated in all years except in 2005. Bioassay-directed fractionation of M. verticillatum extracts coupled with LC–MS analyses of the respective fractions revealed several isomers of HHDP-di- and -tri-galloylglucose apparently responsible for the allelopathic effects. The individual active compounds revealed a more distinct seasonal pattern compared to the pool of phenolic compounds in M. verticillatum, with a clear maximum in May, the ecologically most relevant period for inhibitory effects of submerged macrophytes on phytoplankton.     

青藏高原高寒草甸两种优势植物的生长及其CNP化学计量特征对模拟增温的响应

以青藏高原高寒草甸和高寒沼泽中的两种优势物种小嵩草(Kobresia pygmaea)和藏嵩草(Kobresia tibetica)为研究对象,采用开顶式增温室(OTCs)模拟气候变暖,对比分析两种植物叶片形态和解剖结构特征、根活性及地上—地下部分化学计量特征对增温的响应差异。结果表明:增温显著增加了小嵩草叶片的长度和叶片的数量,也显著增加了藏嵩草株高和叶片长度;增温没有明显改变小嵩草和藏嵩草的叶片上表皮厚度、下表皮厚度、下表皮细胞角质层厚度、叶肉细胞长和叶肉细胞宽;增温增加了小嵩草根系活跃吸收面积,对小嵩草和藏嵩草其他根系活性指标没有显著影响;增温降低了小嵩草地上部分N含量,对小嵩草地上部分C、P含量没有影响;增温降低了藏嵩草地上部分C、N含量,对P含量没有影响;增温增加了小嵩草和藏嵩草地上部分C/N比,提高了两种优势植物对氮素的长期利用效率;增温对小嵩草地下部分化学计量学特征没有影响,而降低了藏嵩草地下部分C含量和C/N比。