Algal Periphyton Growth on Nutrient‐Diffusing Substrates: An in situ Bioassay

Fairchild, G. Winfield; Lowe, Rex L.; Richardson, William B.

doi:10.2307/1940395

Cited by 270 publications

(229 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Two species with different optimal nutrient ratios are able to coexist only if each species is a better competitor for the nutrient most limiting to the other species. It is unclear whether benthic algae compete exploitatively for nutrients, although evidence is rapidly accumulating that periphyton in lakes (e.g., Fairchild et al 1985) and streams can be nutrient limited (Bothwell 1989;Pringle 1990;Harvey et al 1998). Benthic algae in flowing waters may have less ability to affect nutrient avail-ability than phytoplankton in lakes because lotic algae are generally exposed to a continuous supply of nutrients (but see Mulholland et al 1995).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of N: P ratio and total nutrient concentration on stream periphyton community structure, biomass, and elemental composition

Stelzer

Lamberti

2001

Limnology & Oceanography

231

154

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The effects of nutrient ratios on algal community structure and algal growth have been examined extensively in lakes and marine environments, but rarely in streams. We manipulated stream water N : P ratio (65 : 1, 17 : 1, 4 : 1) and total nutrient concentration (low and high) in a factorial experiment using once-through streamside flumes and measured responses in abundance, community structure, and elemental composition of periphyton communities. Early in the experiment, periphyton chlorophyll a and total algal biovolume were higher for treatments where N was added (high total nutrient concentration) but were not affected by N : P ratio. This response is contrary to our prediction that P would limit periphyton growth based on the high N : P ratio in the source water and unamended periphyton mats. The relative abundance of nine of eleven common algal taxa was affected by N : P ratio, total nutrient concentration, or both. Overall, algal community structure was more sensitive than bulk measures of periphyton abundance to changes in N : P ratio and total nutrient concentration. Periphyton %N and %P increased with the N and P concentration of stream water, and periphyton N : P tracked stream water N : P ratio. Responses in periphyton chemical composition to nutrients could affect the food quality of periphyton for consumers.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of N: P ratio and total nutrient concentration on stream periphyton community structure, biomass, and elemental composition

Stelzer

Lamberti

2001

Limnology & Oceanography

231

154

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“…Other, less expensive means for conducting nutrient enrichment treatments in the field have included less extensive nutrient pulse treatments (e.g., Lapointe 1987;Miller and Hay 1996) and various types of nutrient-leaching substrates such as porous clay flower pots containing commercial fertilizer (Hatcher and Larkum 1983), agar-based nutrient suspensions (Fairchild et al 1985;Tate 1990), or coated timerelease commercial fertilizer (M. M. Littler, D. S. Littler, and J. S. Feingold, pers. comm.).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of nutrients versus herbivores on reef algae: A new method for manipulating nutrients on coral reefs

Miller

Hay

Miller³

et al. 1999

Limnology & Oceanography

136

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There has been much discussion and some controversy regarding the role of nutrient enrichment versus other factors, such as altered rates of herbivory, in the degradation of coral reef ecosystems. The resolution of this controversy has been hampered by the lack of manipulative field studies testing the effects of ecologically relevant levels of nutrient enrichment on coral reef communities. We present a new method for adding ecologically relevant levels of nutrients to experimental substrates on coral reefs. The method elevates nutrients for sustained periods of time (Ͼ41 d without replenishment of nutrients) and allows for testing interactions of nutrients and altered levels of herbivory. Results from an offshore reef in Key Largo, Florida, show strong effects of excluding large herbivorous fishes, negligible effects of nutrient enrichment-or effects that are opposite of predictions, and no interaction between nutrient levels and herbivory in affecting algal abundance. Patterns observed for this reef did not confirm predictions of previously proposed models that frondose macroalgal or crustose algal abundance would be enhanced with nutrient enrichment or that dominance of filamentous turfs would be greater in unenriched conditions. In contrast to previous predictions, the abundance of larger macroalgae at this site was not increased by elevating nutrients above predicted threshold response levels of 1.0 M for total inorganic nitrogen or 0.10 M for soluble reactive phosphate. Also conflicting with some models, filamentous, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria were enhanced, rather than suppressed, by nutrient enrichment.There is considerable concern among scientists and conservationists regarding the degradation of coral reef com-

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“…This guild includes comparatively fast moving species that are superior competitors for nutrients in nutrient-rich environments (Fairchild et al, 1985; M a n u s c r i p t Van der Grinten et al, 2004) and can physically avoid stress within the benthic mat by moving to resource-rich microhabitats (Johnson et al, 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in the epipelic diatom assemblage in nutrient rich streams due to the variations of simultaneous stressors

2015

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Please cite this article as: Cochero, J., Licursi, M., Gómez, N.,Changes in the epipelic diatom assemblage in nutrient rich streams to the variations of simultaneous stressors, Limnologica (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.limno. 2014.10.004 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t results suggest that, in the very short term of the bioassay conducted, the diatom assemblage can modify its structure to respond in a sensitive manner to the abrupt changes in multiple physical-chemical variables.

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Algal Periphyton Growth on Nutrient‐Diffusing Substrates: An in situ Bioassay

Cited by 270 publications

References 32 publications

Effects of N: P ratio and total nutrient concentration on stream periphyton community structure, biomass, and elemental composition

Effects of N: P ratio and total nutrient concentration on stream periphyton community structure, biomass, and elemental composition

Effects of nutrients versus herbivores on reef algae: A new method for manipulating nutrients on coral reefs

Changes in the epipelic diatom assemblage in nutrient rich streams due to the variations of simultaneous stressors

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