Specific Growth Rates of Freshwater Algae in Relation to Cell Size and Light Intensity

Schlesinger, David A.; Molot, Lewis A.; Shuter, Brian J.

doi:10.1139/f81-145

Cited by 89 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Therefore, release from deep mixing and from grazing by mesozooplankton would not have been sufficient for permitting positive growth rates of medium-sized phytoplankton, even if those factors had contributed to their scarcity in situ. On the other hand, growth rates attained by the combination of a full nutrient enrichment and maximal grazer exclusion were not much lower than the maximal growth rates for phytoplankton of the nanoplankton and smaller microplankton size range reported in the literature (Schlesinger et al 1981, Banse 1982), e.g. Rhizoselenia (15 000 + 34 700 pm3 cell volume) had growth rates of 0.9 to 1.3 d-' at 21 to 23°C , while Banse's equation for diatoms predicts a maximal growth rate of 1.32 d-' at 20°C.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

Scarcity of medium-sized phytoplankton in the northern Red Sea explained by strong bottom-up and weak top-down control

Sommer¹

2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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ABSTRACT. This study tested whether the extreme scarcity of larger nanophytoplankton and rnicrophytoplankton in the Gulf of Aqaba and in the open northern Red Sea is caused by nutrient limitation or by selective removal by grazers. Samples of near surface phytoplankton were incubated on board under a fully factorial combination of release from grazing pressure and release from nutrient stress.Release from grazing pressure by different size classes was obtained by sieving through 100, 20, and 10 pm size mesh screens. Release from nutrient stress was obtained by enrichment of Si alone and a full enrichment by N, P, Si and trace elements. Growth rates of most phytoplankton taxa showed a strong, positive response to the full nutrient enrichment and a weaker, but significant response to grazer exclusion. Several diatom taxa showed a weak positive response to Si enrichment. Thus, bottom-up control of medium-sized algae appears to he more important than top-down control.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

Scarcity of medium-sized phytoplankton in the northern Red Sea explained by strong bottom-up and weak top-down control

Sommer¹

2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…There are also reports of sizedependent μ max with the size-scaling exponent of μ max being greater than -1 ⁄ 4 (Banse 1982, Blasco et al 1982, Tang 1995. Data on μ max compliled by Schlesinger et al (1981) show a lower size-scaling exponent of -0.32. If picoplankton-sized cells are included, the largest μ max is found in intermediate-sized cells, rather than in smallest cells (Raven 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Many ecological and physiological characteristics of phytoplankton, such as light absorption (Agustí 1991, Finkel 2001, Fujiki & Taguchi 2002, photosynthesis (Finkel & Irwin 2000, Finkel et al 2004, nutrient uptake (Pasciak & Gavis 1974, Aksnes & Egge 1991, Hein et al 1995, Sunda & Huntsman 1997, Litchman et al 2007, sinking rate (Smayda 1970, Waite et al 1997 and metabolic and growth rate (Banse 1976, 1982, Schlesinger et al 1981, Blasco et al 1982, Geider et al 1986, Tang 1995, Tang & Peters 1995, are related to cell size. Phytoplankton cell size also determines the size of their grazers, since zooplankton of different sizes graze on prey of certain preferred size ranges (Hansen et al 1994, Weitz & Levin 2006.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytoplankton growth allometry and size- dependent C:N stoichiometry revealed by a variable quota model

Mei¹,

Finkel²,

Irwin³

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Size scaling of phytoplankton growth rates and size-dependent carbon to nitrogen (C:N) stoichiometry determine phytoplankton size structure and coupling of carbon and nitrogen cycling of marine ecosystems. They are critical in predicting the growth of phytoplankton spanning a wide range of sizes and their consequences for the biological pump in marine ecosystem models. The size scaling of phytoplankton growth and size-dependent C:N stoichiometry are modelled by embedding size-dependent light-harvesting, nutrient acquisition and storage into Droop's quota-dependent phytoplankton growth model. The size-scaling exponent of maximum growth rate of phytoplankton is -0.17 (which is higher than the universal size-scaling exponent of -1 ⁄ 4 predicted by the metabolic theory of ecology) under saturated light and NO 3 . The size-scaling exponent of growth rate (μ) decreases with increasing light under saturated NO 3 , and decreases with decreasing NO 3 concentration under saturated light. The allometry of equilibrium cellular C and N quota varies with light and NO 3 concentrations. Under saturated light and NO 3 concentration, C:N increases slightly with cell size. Under limiting light, but saturated NO 3 , C:N is close to the Redfield ratio and is not size dependent. Under limiting NO 3 but saturated light, C:N is higher than the Redfield ratio and increases with cell size. We identified the uncertainty of the size-scaling exponent of μ associated with key parameters, for which more data need to be collected in the lab and field.KEY WORDS: Phytoplankton growth · Size scaling · Community structure · C:N · Transport network · QuotaResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

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“…Size also influences how planktonic organisms relate to their hydrodynamic environment (Koehl and Strickler 1981;Monger and Landry 1990), as well as how they partition nutrients (Eppley et al 1969;Moloney and Field 1989), growth (Schlesinger et al 1981;Tang 1995;Nielsen 2006), respiratory losses (Banse 1976;Tang and Peters 1995), and other metabolic processes (Joint and Pomroy 1988;Joint 1991;Gillooly et al 2001) among the coinhabitants and potential competitors in a given environment. An understanding of size-specific processes is, therefore, important for understanding planktonic ecosystem dynamics.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating size‐dependent growth and grazing rates and their associated errors using the dilution method

Taniguchi

Franks

Landry

2012

Limnology & Ocean Methods

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Size-dependent properties are pervasive in nature but difficult to measure for natural communities. Here, we develop a technique to estimate size-specific phytoplankton growth and grazing rates based on the two-point dilution method, enhanced by the acquisition of the size spectra of the phytoplankton in the samples. We describe a way to estimate standard deviations associated with the rate estimates, which can be applied either to the size-dependent or total community rates. We tested the accuracy of rates estimated using the size-dependent dilution method by applying it to dilution experiments simulated using a complex size-structured ecosystem model. The strong agreement between model and size-dependent dilution method rates (two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, P = 1) supports the accuracy of this new technique. Because size-dependent rates vary with the size interval over which they are calculated, we display the size-dependent growth and grazing rates and their standard deviations as a function of the size interval. This technique easily allows the assessment of rates for any size class of interest. Finally, we apply the size-dependent dilution method to data collected in the equatorial Pacific. There is a general agreement between size-based and previously published taxonomic-based rates, with differences reflecting the extent to which size classes are mixtures of taxa. The use of the size-dependent dilution method will provide new insights into the structure and dynamics of planktonic communities. Future applications of this method to other natural communities will help in assessing the size-dependencies of phytoplankton growth and grazing rates in their environments.

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Specific Growth Rates of Freshwater Algae in Relation to Cell Size and Light Intensity

Cited by 89 publications

References 30 publications

Scarcity of medium-sized phytoplankton in the northern Red Sea explained by strong bottom-up and weak top-down control

Scarcity of medium-sized phytoplankton in the northern Red Sea explained by strong bottom-up and weak top-down control

Phytoplankton growth allometry and size- dependent C:N stoichiometry revealed by a variable quota model

Estimating size‐dependent growth and grazing rates and their associated errors using the dilution method

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