N-limited consumer growth and low nutrient regeneration N:P ratios in lakes with low N deposition. Bergström, A., Karlsson, D., Karlsson, J., & Vrede, T. Ecosphere, 6(1):1–13, January, 2015.
N-limited consumer growth and low nutrient regeneration N:P ratios in lakes with low N deposition [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Nutrient limitation of primary producers and their consumers can have a large influence on ecosystem productivity. The nature and strength of nutrient limitation is driven both by external factors (e.g., nutrient loading) and internal processes (e.g., consumer-driven nutrient regeneration). Here we present results from a field study in 10 low productive headwater lakes in northern subarctic Sweden, where nitrogen (N) deposition is low and phytoplankton is primarily N-limited. We assessed the carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus (C:N:P) stoichiometry of seston and zooplankton and estimated the N:P ratio of consumer-driven nutrient regeneration. Based on stoichiometric models, the estimated elemental imbalances between seston and zooplankton suggest that zooplankton were mainly N-limited and regenerated nutrients with low N:P ratios (median 11.9, atomic ratio). The predicted N:P regeneration ratios were consistent with results from phytoplankton nutrient limitation bioassays in mid-summer, i.e., the N:P regeneration was predicted to be low when phytoplankton were N-limited, and high when phytoplankton were P-limited. During other seasons, when water discharge was high, nutrient loading from the surrounding catchments apparently had the strongest effect on phytoplankton nutrient limitation. We propose that lakes with higher N:P ratios than the open ocean is an effect of N deposition, that N-limitation of consumers and phytoplankton is further enhanced by low nutrient regeneration N:P ratios, and that in the absence of N deposition, lake and ocean N:P stoichiometry are similar.
@article{bergstrom_n-limited_2015,
	title = {N-limited consumer growth and low nutrient regeneration {N}:{P} ratios in lakes with low {N} deposition},
	volume = {6},
	issn = {2150-8925},
	shorttitle = {N-limited consumer growth and low nutrient regeneration {N}},
	url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/ES14-00333.1/abstract},
	doi = {10.1890/ES14-00333.1},
	abstract = {Nutrient limitation of primary producers and their consumers can have a large influence on ecosystem productivity. The nature and strength of nutrient limitation is driven both by external factors (e.g., nutrient loading) and internal processes (e.g., consumer-driven nutrient regeneration). Here we present results from a field study in 10 low productive headwater lakes in northern subarctic Sweden, where nitrogen (N) deposition is low and phytoplankton is primarily N-limited. We assessed the carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus (C:N:P) stoichiometry of seston and zooplankton and estimated the N:P ratio of consumer-driven nutrient regeneration. Based on stoichiometric models, the estimated elemental imbalances between seston and zooplankton suggest that zooplankton were mainly N-limited and regenerated nutrients with low N:P ratios (median 11.9, atomic ratio). The predicted N:P regeneration ratios were consistent with results from phytoplankton nutrient limitation bioassays in mid-summer, i.e., the N:P regeneration was predicted to be low when phytoplankton were N-limited, and high when phytoplankton were P-limited. During other seasons, when water discharge was high, nutrient loading from the surrounding catchments apparently had the strongest effect on phytoplankton nutrient limitation. We propose that lakes with higher N:P ratios than the open ocean is an effect of N deposition, that N-limitation of consumers and phytoplankton is further enhanced by low nutrient regeneration N:P ratios, and that in the absence of N deposition, lake and ocean N:P stoichiometry are similar.},
	language = {en},
	number = {1},
	urldate = {2017-02-06},
	journal = {Ecosphere},
	author = {Bergström, Ann-Kristin and Karlsson, Daniel and Karlsson, Jan and Vrede, Tobias},
	month = jan,
	year = {2015},
	keywords = {\#nosource, Nitrogen, consumer driven nutrient cycling, ecological stoichiometry, nutrient limitation, phosphorus, phytoplankton, zooplankton},
	pages = {1--13},
}

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