Patterns Of Nutrient Limitation Research Articles

Patterns of (micro)nutrient limitation across the South Pacific Ocean

Nutrient limitation regulates phytoplankton growth throughout much of the global ocean and its assessment is important for our understanding of future changes in ocean productivity. The South Pacific Ocean represents a vast region where limiting nutrients have so far been investigated with only a handful of experiments. Here we report the results of eleven nutrient addition bioassay experiments conducted across the South Pacific Ocean at ca. 30°S as part of the GEOTRACES GP21 expedition. Nitrogen addition alone stimulated chlorophyll-a accumulation at all sites, whilst increases were larger following supplementary addition of iron in the eastern and central basin, and phosphate in the western basin. Enhanced iron stress following nitrogen addition in the eastern and central basin further pointed towards ambient iron concentrations approaching co-limiting levels. The overall east-to-west shift in serial limiting nutrients from iron to phosphate was attributed to a broadscale east-west increase in iron availability relative to nitrogen.

Nine-year fertilization promoted C sink and mediated microbial nutrient utilization in alpine meadow soil aggregates

Increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs to terrestrial ecosystems, which are caused by human activities and atmospheric deposition, significantly affect soil nutrient cycling. However, information on the variations of fertilization treatments on the nutrient utilization and carbon (C) storage mechanisms in alpine meadow soil aggregates is limited. Here, we investigated the responses of microbial nutrient utilization and C storage dynamics in soil aggregates to nine-year fertilization (N, P, and NP addition) in an alpine meadow. The results demonstrated that nine-year fertilization did not affect soil aggregate stability, however, they promoted soil organic C (SOC), total N (TN), and total P (TP) accumulation and altered the microbial nutrient-limitation patterns of soil aggregates in the alpine meadow. Compared to N and NP treatments, the P addition was optimal for improving soil aggregate-associated C storage and soil C pool management index (CMI). Furthermore, the NP treatment significantly exacerbated the microbial C limitation and microbial P limitation was significantly greater with N addition alone than with P addition alone, which was consistent with the resource allocation theory. The enhanced microbial carbon limitation caused by fertilization had no significant impact on soil aggregate-associated C storage and CMI. Simultaneously, soil nutrients and enzyme activities increased with decreasing soil aggregate size. However, these changes did not affect the microbial nutrient limitation patterns and CMI, which may have been related to the stronger nutrient protection ability of microaggregates. Therefore, nine years of fertilization increased the soil aggregate-associated C sink functions and affected soil microbial nutrient-limitation patterns by altering the soil C, N and P stoichiometry in the alpine meadow. These findings provide technical support for future alpine meadow management.

A Broad-Scale Look at Nutrient Limitation and a Shift toward Co-limitation in United States Lakes.

There is a longstanding debate about the role of nitrogen (N) vs phosphorus (P) in limiting primary production in lakes and whether co-nutrient limitation should be considered for managing eutrophication. We evaluated nutrient limitation and eutrophication at a subcontinental scale. Using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Lakes Assessment data, we assessed broad-scale patterns in nutrient limitation and compared samples of all surveyed lakes and lakes resurveyed in multiple surveys. We found that N correlated more strongly with productivity in the western U.S., while P correlated more strongly in the eastern U.S. The aggregated subcontinental effect suggests the importance of factors like N-deposition, terrestrial vegetation, underlying geology, and land use for understanding drivers of nutrient dynamics in lakes. Our study showed how patterns can aggregate across subcontinental scales yet still demonstrate considerable variation when more deeply examined on an individual lake level. Overall, we found that nutrient limitation is dynamic over space and time, with most lakes being co-limited. The prevalence of co-limitation also increased from 2007 to 2017. Trophic states within each limitation category varied substantially. Our findings underscore the need for combined N and P reductions to mitigate accelerated eutrophication.

Impact of Dynamic Phytoplankton Stoichiometry on Global Scale Patterns of Nutrient Limitation, Nitrogen Fixation, and Carbon Export

AbstractPhytoplankton stoichiometry modulates the interaction between carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Environmentally driven variations in phytoplankton C:N:P can alter biogeochemical cycling compared to expectations under fixed ratios. In fact, the assumption of fixed C:N:P has been linked to Earth System Model (ESM) biases and potential misrepresentation of responses to future change. Here we integrate key elements of the Adaptive Trait Optimization Model (ATOM) for phytoplankton stoichiometry with the Carbon, Ocean Biogeochemistry and Lower Trophics (COBALT) ocean biogeochemical model. Within a series of global ocean‐ice‐ecosystem retrospective simulations, ATOM‐COBALT reproduced observations of phytoplankton N:P, and compared to static ratios, exhibited reduced phytoplankton P‐limitation, enhanced N‐fixation, and increased low‐latitude export, improving consistency with observations and highlighting the biogeochemical implications of dynamic N:P. We applied ATOM‐COBALT to explore the impacts of different physiological mechanisms hypothesized to underlie N:P variation, finding that two mechanisms together drove the observed patterns: proportionality of P‐rich ribosomes in phytoplankton cells to growth rates and reductions in P‐storage during scarcity. A third mechanism which linked temperature with phytoplankton biomass allocations to non‐ribosomal proteins, led only to relatively modest impacts because this mechanism decreased the temperature dependence of phytoplankton growth rates, compensating for changes in N:P. We find that there are quantitative response differences that associate distinctive biogeochemical footprints with each mechanism, which are most apparent in highly productive low‐latitude regions. These results suggest that variable phytoplankton N:P makes phytoplankton productivity and export resilient to environmental changes, and support further research on the physiological and environmental drivers of phytoplankton stoichiometry and biogeochemical role.

What drives growth responses of nitrogen and phosphorus (co-)limited primary producer communities?

The growth of autotroph communities is frequently (co-)limited by essential nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the observed co-limitation patterns at different levels of biological organization, especially at the biochemical level for individual species. When considering communities, the presence of different species and functional groups with contrasting physiologies and nutrient requirements leads to a more difficult understanding of the mechanisms involved in nutrient (co-)limitation. To investigate what drives co-limitation patterns and possible underlying mechanisms based on biomass responses in autotroph communities, we grew phytoplankton communities differing in species composition in experimental microcosms on three N:P ratios to impose different limiting conditions. Afterwards, N, P, both, or none were factorially supplied to the communities to test which nutrients were limiting growth. We measured the biovolume of single species in the communities to assess how they responded to nutrient additions and compared it to the response of the overall community biovolume. The types of nutrient (co-)limitation identified, i.e. the factorial limitation scenarios for community biomass were single N limitation or simultaneous co-limitation by N and P, and were strongly driven by the dominant species. The phytoplankton species in the communities responded differently to the nutrient addition treatments, i.e. they showed contrasting limitation outcomes and therefore likely different nutrient requirements. Our experiment indicates that phylogenetically distantly-related phytoplankton species grown in a community can have different resource use efficiencies and thus can be limited by different nutrients. We suggest that the dominance of species or groups with similar traits in nutrient requirements and acquisition is one of the leading mechanisms that determines the biomass pattern of nutrient (co-)limitation observed at the community level. This work also highlights the potential of predicting community growth limitation outcomes based on knowledge of nutrient use efficiencies of one or few dominant species, which can be a suitable tool for lake restoration and oligotrophication efforts.

Broadleaf trees switch from phosphorus to nitrogen limitation at lower latitudes than conifers

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are common limiting elements for terrestrial ecosystem productivity. Understanding N–P nutrient limitations patterns is crucial for comprehending variations in productivity within terrestrial ecosystems. However, the global nutrient limitation patterns of woody plants, that dominate forests, especially across different functional types, remain unclear. Here, we compiled a global dataset of leaf N and P concentrations and resorption efficiency (NRE and PRE) to explore latitudinal nutrient limitation patterns in natural woody plants and their environmental drivers. Based on published fertilization experiments, we compiled another global woody plant nutrient database to validate such identified patterns. The results showed that with increasing latitude, the relative P vs N resorption efficiency (PRE minus NRE) and the N and P ratio decreased in woody plant leaves, suggesting that the nutrient status of woody plants shifts from P to N limitation as latitude increases, with a switching point of N–P balance occurring at mid-latitudes (42.9°–43.6°). Different functional types exhibited similar trends, but with different switching latitudes of N vs P limitation. Due to the lower N uptake capacity of broadleaves than conifers, broadleaves reached N–P balance at lower latitudes (39.6°–43.3°) than conifers (57.1°–59.1°) in both hemispheres. Data from fertilization experiments successfully identified 81 % of the N limitation cases and 91 % of the P limitation cases identified using the first database. N and P limitation cases for conifers and broadleaves were also well identified separately. The latitudinal nutrient limitations in global woody plants are primarily shaped by climate and soil. Our study demonstrates the switching latitudes of N vs P limitation which varies between broadleaves and conifers. These findings enhance our understanding of plant nutrient dynamics in global climate change and aid in refining forest management.

Effects of slope aspect on soil enzyme activity and microbial nutrient limitation in subalpine region of wes-tern Sichuan, China.

Exploring the resource limitation of soil microbial metabolism is essential to understand ecosystem functions and processes. However, the spatially divergent patterns and drivers of soil microbial nutrient limitation cha-racteristics in montane ecosystems at small scales, especially at the slope aspect scale, are still unclear. In this study, we measured soil enzyme activities involved in carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycle and quantified the microbial nutrient limitations by enzyme stoichiometry in two representative mountain sites in subalpine region of western Sichuan, including the sunny and shady slopes with different vegetation types (shrubland and forest, respectively) in Miyaluo of Lixian County, and with the same vegetation type (shrubland) in Yakexia of Heishui County. The results showed that soil enzyme activities and their stoichiometric ratios were significantly different between slope aspects in Miyaluo, while the differences were not significant in Yakexia. The stoichiometry ratio of C-, N- and P-acquiring enzymes on the sunny slope of Miyaluo was 1:0.96:0.92, approaching the 1:1:1 ratio at the global scale, but deviated from 1:1:1 on the shady slope of Miyaluo (1:1.39:0.75) and the different slopes of Yakexia (1:1.09:1.35). There was no significant difference in vector length between slope aspects at both sites, indicating no significant effect of slope aspect on the microbial C limitation. The vector angle was significantly higher on the sunny slope (43.6°) than that on the shady slope (28.7°) in Miyaluo, suggesting that the microorganisms were mainly N-limited. Partial least squares path model showed that the vector angle was mainly directly influenced by the soil nutrient ratios. The vector angle ranged from 50.3° to 51.4°, and did not differ between slope aspects in Yakexia. Therefore, differences in vegetation types between slope aspects drove variations in soil enzyme activity and microbial nutrient limitation through soil properties. It would provide a scientific basis for predicting the spatial pattern of soil enzyme activity and microbial nutrient limitation.

The fingerprint of climate variability on the surface ocean cycling of iron and its isotopes

Abstract. The essential micronutrient iron (Fe) limits phytoplankton growth when dissolved Fe (dFe) concentrations are too low to meet biological demands. However, many of the processes that remove, supply, or transform Fe are poorly constrained, which limits our ability to predict how ocean productivity responds to ongoing and future changes in climate. In recent years, isotopic signatures (δ56Fe) of Fe have increasingly been used to gain insight into the ocean Fe cycle, as distinct δ56Fe endmembers of external Fe sources and δ56Fe fractionation during processes such as Fe uptake by phytoplankton can leave a characteristic imprint on dFe signatures (δ56Fediss). However, given the relative novelty of these measurements, the temporal scale of δ56Fediss observations is limited. Thus, it is unclear how the changes in ocean physics and biogeochemistry associated with ongoing or future climate change will affect δ56Fediss on interannual to decadal timescales. To explore the response of δ56Fediss to such climate variability, we conducted a suite of experiments with a global ocean model with active δ56Fe cycling under two climate scenarios. The first scenario is based on an atmospheric reanalysis and includes recent climate variability (1958–2021), whereas the second comes from a historical and high-emissions climate change simulation to 2100. We find that under recent climatic conditions (1975–2021), interannual δ56Fediss variability is highest in the tropical Pacific due to circulation and productivity changes related to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which alter both endmember and uptake fractionation effects on δ56Fediss by redistributing dFe from different external sources and shifting nutrient limitation patterns. While the tropical Pacific will remain a hotspot of δ56Fediss variability in the future, the most substantial end-of-century δ56Fediss changes will occur in the Southern Hemisphere at middle to high latitudes. These arise from uptake fractionation effects due to shifts in nutrient limitation. Based on these strong responses to climate variability, ongoing measurements of δ56Fediss may help diagnose changes in external Fe supply and ocean nutrient limitation.

An apex predator engineers wetland food-web heterogeneity through nutrient enrichment and habitat modification.

The potential for animals to modify spatial patterns of nutrient limitation for autotrophs and habitat availability for other members of their communities is increasingly recognized. However, net trophic effects of consumers acting as ecosystem engineers remain poorly known. The American Alligator Alligator mississippiensis is an abundant predator capable of dramatic modifications of physical habitat through the creation and maintenance of pond-like basins, but its role in influencing community structure and nutrient dynamics is less appreciated. We investigated if alligators engineer differences in nutrient availability and changes to community structure by their creation of 'alligator ponds' compared to the surrounding phosphorus (P)-limited oligotrophic marsh. We used a halo sampling design of three distinct habitats extending outward from 10 active alligator ponds across a hydrological gradient in the Everglades, USA. We performed nutrient analysis on basal food-web resources and quantitative community analyses, and stoichiometric analyses on plants and animals. Our findings demonstrate that alligators act as ecosystem engineers and enhance food-web heterogeneity by increasing nutrient availability, manipulating physical structure and altering algal, plant and animal communities. Flocculent detritus, an unconsolidated layer of particulate organic matter and soil, showed strong patterns of P enrichment in ponds. Higher P availability in alligator ponds also resulted in bottom-up trophic transfer of nutrients as evidenced by higher growth rates (lower N:P) for plants and aquatic consumers. Edge habitats surrounding alligator ponds contained the most diverse communities of invertebrates and plants, but low total abundance of fishes, likely driven by high densities of emergent macrophytes. Pond communities exhibited higher abundance of fish compared to edge habitat and were dominated by compositions of small invertebrates that track high nutrient availability in the water column. Marshes contained high numbers of animals that are closely tied to periphyton mats, which were absent from other habitats. Alligator-engineered habitats are ecologically important by providing nutrient-enriched 'hotspots' in an oligotrophic system, habitat heterogeneity to marshes, and refuges for other fauna during seasonal disturbances. This work adds to growing evidence that efforts to model community dynamics should routinely consider animal-mediated bottom-up processes like ecosystem engineering.

Spatial and temporal patterns of stream nutrient limitation in an Arctic catchment

Arctic stream biofilm responses to ongoing climate-related changes in physical and chemical conditions have major implications for stream food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Yet, such effects have rarely been studied outside summer months or at sub-catchment scales in the Arctic. We used deployments of nutrient diffusing substrates (NDS) to assess the spatial (20 deployments) and seasonal patterns (10 deployments) and physical and chemical drivers of nutrient limitation within an Arctic stream catchment. Results show that nutrient limitation of autotrophic processes was common during summer, but that light inhibited biomass accrual under the ice in winter. Alongside single N, P and C responses, co-limitation dominated the overall pattern of limitation over time and across the catchment. However, the primary limiting nutrient to autotrophs changed from N to P in parts of the catchment with higher N concentrations. As Arctic studies are often conducted at individual sites during summer, these may miss shifts in the drivers of stream productivity that arise from variable nutrient, temperature, and light regimes. Our results caution against focusing on one single most important limiting nutrient, as we found that this can shift seasonally and over small spatial scales in this Arctic catchment.

Contrasting elevational patterns of microbial carbon and nutrient limitation in soil from alpine meadow to desert

The understanding of soil microbial resource limitation has important implications for belowground nutrient cycling. Climate is a primary factor that regulates microbial resource limitation directly and indirectly. Elevational gradient has been used as a substitution of latitudinal gradient in ecological studies because the former displays a wide range of climate variation as the latter. However, whether the elevational trend of microbial resource limitation follows that of latitudinal pattern is still not well known. Here we aimed to 1) test the elevational patterns (465–3035 m a.s.l.) of microbial carbon (C) and nutrient (P: N) limitations in the Tianshan Mountain by using the enzymatic vector analysis, and 2) examine the importance of microclimate and soil resource in regulating microbial C and P:N limitation along the elevational gradient. We found that microbial C limitation generally decreased and microbial P:N limitation increased with increasing elevation, which were the opposite to those of latitudinal patterns. Our results further indicated that microbial C limitation was primarily controlled by soil microclimate with soil moisture alleviating microbial C limitation in the warm & dry climatic condition (465–1240 m a.s.l.) but intensifying in the cold & wet climatic condition (1400–3035 m a.s.l.). Microbial P:N limitation was mainly regulated by soil available P and by the shared effects of soil microclimate and resource. Moreover, microbial C limitation was negatively correlated with microbial P:N limitation, which implied that soil C and nutrient supplies were strongly coupled. Overall, the spatial changes of microbial resource limitation cannot be simply inferred from latitude to altitude or vice versa, instead we should focus on how the determinants of microbial resource limitation change along these environmental gradients.

Leaf NPK stoichiometry, δ15 N, and apparent nutrient limitation of co-occurring carnivorous and noncarnivorous plants.

Previous meta-analyses suggested that carnivorous plants-despite access to N, P, and K from prey-have significantly lower leaf concentrations of these nutrients than noncarnivores. Those studies, however, largely compared carnivores in nutrient-poor habitats with noncarnivores in more nutrient-rich sites, so that the differences reported might reflect habitat differences as much as differences in nutrient-capture strategy. Here we examine three carnivorous and 12 noncarnivorous plants in the same nutrient-poor bog to compare their foliar nutrient concentrations, assess their patterns of nutrient limitation using leaf NPK stoichiometry, and estimate percentage N derived from prey by carnivores using a mixing model for stable N isotopes. We hypothesized that (1) carnivore leaf nutrient concentrations approach or exceed those of noncarnivores in the same nutrient-poor habitat; (2) species in different functional groups show different patterns of stoichiometry and apparent nutrient limitation; and (3) noncarnivores might show evidence of using other means of nutrient acquisition or conservation to reduce nutrient limitation. At Fallison Bog in northern Wisconsin, carnivorous plants (Drosera rotundifolia, Sarracenia purpurea, Utricularia macrorhiza) showed significantly lower leaf percentage C and N:P ratio, higher δ15 N, and no difference from noncarnivores in leaf N, P, K, and δ13 C. Sedges had significantly lower leaf percentage P, percentage C, and N:K ratio, and higher K:P ratio than nonsedges restricted to the Sphagnum mat, and may tap peat N via aerenchyma-facilitated peat oxidation (oxipeditrophy). Evergreen ericaceous shrubs exhibited significantly higher levels of percentage C and lower values of δ15 N than mat nonericads. Calla palustris-growing in the nutrient-rich moat at the bog's upland edge-had very high values of leaf N, K, δ15 N, and N:P ratio, suggesting that it may obtain nutrients from minerotrophic flows from the adjacent uplands and/or rapidly decaying peat. Stoichiometric analyses indicated that most species are N limited. A mixing model applied to δ15 N values for carnivores, noncarnivores, and insects produced an estimate of 50% of leaf N derived from prey for Utricularia, 42% for Sarracenia, and 41% for Drosera.

Consistent Plant and Microbe Nutrient Limitation Patterns During Natural Vegetation Restoration.

Vegetation restoration is assumed to enhance carbon (C) sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems, where plant producers and microbial decomposers play key roles in soil C cycling. However, it is not clear how the nutrient limitation patterns of plants and soil microbes might change during vegetation restoration. We investigated the nutrient limitations of the plant and microbial communities along a natural vegetation restoration chronosequence (1, 8, 16, 31, and 50 years) following farmland abandonment in Qinling Mountains, China, and assessed their relationships with soil factors. The result showed that following natural vegetation restoration, the nitrogen (N) limitation of plant and microbial communities was alleviated significantly, and thereafter, it began to shift to phosphorus (P) limitation at a later stage. Plants showed P limitation 50 years after restoration, while microbial P limitation appeared 31 years later. The changes in plant nutrient limitation were consistent with those in microbial nutrient limitation, but soil microbes were limited by P earlier than plants. Random forest model and partial least squares path modeling revealed that soil nutrient stoichiometry, especially soil C:N ratio, explained more variations in plant and microbial nutrient limitation. Our study demonstrates that the imbalanced soil C:N ratio may determine the soil microbial metabolic limitation and further mediate the variation in plant nutrient limitation during natural vegetation restoration, which provides important insights into the link between metabolic limitation for microbes and nutrient limitation for plants during vegetation restoration to improve our understanding of soil C turnover in temperate forest ecosystems.

Nutrient limitations on primary productivity and phosphorus removal by biological carbon pumps in dammed karst rivers: Implications for eutrophication control

Biological carbon pumps (BCPs) convert dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) into autochthonous organic carbon (AOC), which is the key to form long-term stable carbonate weathering-related carbon sink. The DIC fertilization may increase the strength of BCP. As a phase of BCP, eutrophication is one of the major problems in surface water environments which shows poor water quality with harmful cyanobacteria blooms. It is generally believed that the controlling elements of eutrophication are nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), while the controlling elements of BCP also includes carbon (C). Meanwhile P removal by BCPs through the coprecipitation of P with calcite and Fe(III) oxyhydroxide colloids decreases its content in water bodies and prevent water from cyanobacteria eutrophication. In the present study, we examine the seasonal variations of general physiochemical parameters of the surface water, DIC, total N and total P concentrations, chlorophyll concentrations in three karst river-reservoir systems (PZR, PDR and HFR) in Guizhou Province, Southwest China. The phytoplankton community structure dynamics and the settling flux of the total P and P fractions in the settling particulate matter in PZR and HFR were also examined. It was found that: (1) the nutrient limitations of BCPs shifted from C-limitation to N- or P-limitation after the rivers were dammed; (2) P removal by BCPs reduced the total P concentration and increased the stoichiometric N:P ratio in surface waters; (3) P removal by BCPs alleviated the development of eutrophication by decreasing the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria. Our results demonstrate that the damming of a river may shift the nutrient limitation patterns of dammed karst rivers and the P removal by BCP may retard the development of water body into Cyanophyta-type eutrophication. This may have important implications for eutrophication control (i.e., strengthening BCP effect via DIC fertilization) in HCO3-Ca type surface water, especially in karst areas, which cover about 15% of the world land surface.

Winter Time Nutrient Limitation of Phytoplankton in North Carolina Water Supply Reservoirs and An Inflowing Stream

Abstract In aquatic ecosystems, phytoplankton growth may be limited by one or more essential nutrients, a phenomenon known as nutrient limitation. Nutrient limitation can vary spatially, including within and among systems, and temporally, including across seasons and years. For systems that are susceptible to eutrophication (the nutrient over-enrichment of water bodies), understanding patterns of nutrient limitation can be useful for water resource managers. We conducted phytoplankton growth bioassays in late February 2019 to analyze the nutrient limitation status of two water supply reservoirs (Oak Hollow Lake and City Lake), as well as an inflowing stream (Boulding Branch), in the North Carolina Piedmont. Two sites within each reservoir were assessed, including one site close to the water supply intake and one site further upstream. Each laboratory bioassay consisted of three nutrient addition treatments: nitrogen (N+), phosphorus (P+), and nitrogen and phosphorus (NP+), as well as a control. After 48 hr incubation under a growth light, chlorophyll a was measured in all samples, including initial samples taken prior to growth light incubation, and ANOVA was used to determine significant differences among treatments. The City Lake upstream site was P-limited, whereas the site closer to the intake was co-limited by N and P. The Oak Hollow downstream site closest to the water supply intake was P-limited while the Oak Hollow upstream site was not nutrient limited. Similarly, Boulding Branch was not nutrient limited. These results illustrate the spatial complexity of nutrient limitation. Further studies are needed to better understand this complexity, as well as examine seasonal and interannual patterns of nutrient limitation in these critical water supply reservoirs.

Contrasting Elevational Patterns of Microbial Carbon and Nutrient Limitation in Soil from Alpine Meadow to Desert

Contrasting Elevational Patterns of Microbial Carbon and Nutrient Limitation in Soil from Alpine Meadow to Desert

Varying influence of phytoplankton biodiversity and stoichiometric plasticity on bulk particulate stoichiometry across ocean basins

Concentrations and elemental ratios of suspended particulate organic matter influence many biogeochemical processes in the ocean, including patterns of phytoplankton nutrient limitation and links between carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Here we present direct measurements of cellular nutrient content and stoichiometric ratios for discrete phytoplankton populations spanning broad environmental conditions across several ocean basins. Median cellular carbon-to-phosphorus and nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios were positively correlated with vertical nitrate-to-phosphate flux for all phytoplankton groups and were consistently higher for cyanobacteria than eukaryotes. Light and temperature were inconsistent predictors of stoichiometric ratios. Across nutrient-rich and phosphorus-stressed biomes in the North Atlantic, but not in the nitrogen-stressed tropical North Pacific, we find that a combination of taxonomic composition and environmental acclimation best predict bulk particulate organic matter composition. Our findings demonstrate the central role of plankton biodiversity and plasticity in controlling linkages between ocean nutrient and carbon cycles in some regions.

Effects of Prometryn Exposure Scenarios on Microcystis aeruginosa Growth and Water Qualities in Incubator Experiments

Although multiple herbicide exposures are more prospective to occur in water, many previous studies were carried out as single herbicide exposure. To investigate the toxic effect of prometryn on cyanobacteria and water qualities, single and double prometryn exposures (at different growth phases) on Microcystis aeruginosa growth and concentrations of nutrients were compared after a 44-day experiment. Results indicated that under single exposure, maximum inhibition rates were 4.7–12.0% higher than those under double exposures. Correspondingly, the maximum Microcystis aeruginosa densities and growth rates under single exposure were 10.3–21.1% and 19.5–37.7% lower than those under double exposures (p < 0.05), respectively. These findings revealed that repeated prometryn exposures resulted in a reduction in biological effects, because the time of application and the concentration injected during the first application were both significant factors in the biological effects of prometryn. Prometryn exposure scenarios did not have a significant effect on nutrient or nutrient consumption concentrations (p > 0.05). In general, the pattern of nutrient limitation showed a shift from phosphorus to nitrogen limitation. The quantified relationships between Microcystis aeruginosa growth rates and consumed nutrients were studied. Based on the above findings, we believe that a high-dose and single prometryn exposure is a more effective exposure pattern for limiting cyanobacteria growth.

Meta-analysis of the response of marine phytoplankton to nutrient addition and seawater warming

As an indispensable part of the marine ecosystem, phytoplankton are important prey for zooplankton and various marine animals with important commercial value. The influence of seawater warming and eutrophication on phytoplankton communities is well known, but few studies have explained the effects of the interaction between temperature and nutrients on marine phytoplankton. Through meta-analysis and meta-regression, the phytoplankton responses to the effects of nutrient addition and seawater warming were evaluated in this study. Nitrogen (N) addition led to an increase in phytoplankton biomass, while phosphorus (P) had no significant effect on phytoplankton biomass. However, this result may be biased by the uneven distribution of the research area. N limitation is widespread in the areas where these collected studies were conducted, including many parts of North and South Atlantic and West Pacific Oceans. The key limiting nutrient in other areas lacking corresponding experiments, however, remain unclear. The effect of seawater warming was not significant, which indicates the uncertainty about the effect of temperature on phytoplankton. The results of ANOVA show that nutrient addition and seawater warming had similar effects in various marine habitats (coastal regions, estuaries and open seas), while salinity could have caused the difference in the N effects among the three habitats. Furthermore, our results showed that the impact of temperature depends on nutrient conditions, especially N status, which has rarely been considered before. This result demonstrated the importance of evaluating nutrient limitation patterns when studying climate warming. The impact of rising temperatures may need to be reevaluated because N limitation is common.

Taxonomic and nutrient controls on phytoplankton iron quotas in the ocean

AbstractPhytoplankton iron contents (i.e., quotas) directly link biogeochemical cycles of iron and carbon and drive patterns of nutrient limitation, recycling, and export. Ocean biogeochemical models typically assume that iron quotas are either static or controlled by dissolved iron availability. We measured iron quotas in phytoplankton communities across nutrient gradients in the Pacific Ocean and found that quotas diverged significantly in taxon‐specific ways from laboratory‐derived predictions. Iron quotas varied 40‐fold across nutrient gradients, and nitrogen‐limitation allowed diatoms to accumulate fivefold more iron than co‐occurring flagellates even under low iron availability. Modeling indicates such “luxury” uptake is common in large regions of the low‐iron Pacific Ocean. Among diatoms, both pennate and centric genera accumulated luxury iron, but the cosmopolitan pennate genus Pseudo‐nitzschia maintained iron quotas 10‐fold higher than co‐occurring centric diatoms, likely due to enhanced iron storage. Biogeochemical models should account for taxonomic and macronutrient controls on phytoplankton iron quotas.