Original paper
Green, bluegreen and diatom algae: Taxonomie differences in competitive ability for phosphorus, silicon and nitrogen
Tilman, David; Kiesling, Richard; Sterner, Robert; Kilham, Susan S.; Johnson Frederick A.,
Archiv für Hydrobiologie Volume 106 Number 4 (1986), p. 473 - 485
32 references
published: Jun 19, 1986
DOI: 10.1127/archiv-hydrobiol/106/1986/473
ArtNo. ESP141010604001, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Numerous laboratory resource-limited competition experiments performed on natural algal assemblages in continuous culture suggest that, of all the algal species in midlatitude lakes, some species of diatoms are superior competitors for phosphorus, but that some species of green or bluegreen algae are superior competitors for nitrogen, and light. The Si:P and N:P ratios at which dominance shifted from one taxonomic group to another were temperature dependent, with diatoms dominant through a broader range of Si:P and N:P ratios at lower temperatures (less than ca. 14 °C) and green and bluegreen algae dominant at higher temperatures. Bluegreen algae dominated all N:P supply ratios (µM:µM) less than ca. 20 at 24 °C, but were not dominant at any N:P ratios at 17 °C and 10 °C. These relationships support the hypothesis that temperaturedependent resource competition may be an important process structuring natural algal communities. They could explain the shift to dominance by bluegreen and green algae in mid-latitude, mildly-productive phosphorus-limited lakes with culturally derived phosphorus additions and warming.
Keywords
algal • midlatitude lakes • phosphorus • bluegreen algae • nitrogenx