Summary
Time-course experiments of phosphate uptake by size-fractionated phytoplankton were conducted in oligotrophic Kennedy and Sproat Lakes. The objective was to determine if large phytoplankton obtained more phosphate than smaller cells, when the nutrient was present at higher concentrations. Studies at Kennedy Lake revealed that uptake rates in the 0.2–3.0 μm fraction were very sensitive to the time they were exposed to elevated concentrations; rates determined over the 60–120 min interval were less than 30% of those recorded over the 0–60 min interval. In contrast, there was little difference in uptake rates over these intervals for cells>3.0 μm. At Sproat Lake phosphate incorporation into the two size fractions was followed after the aerial fertilization of the lake with inorganic nutrients. Following nutrient addition the proportion of phosphate entering the>3.0 μm size fraction increased from ca. 35% to ca. 85%. Despite these observations, it is doubtful that larger cells are able to sequester enough phosphate from pulses to realize the same specific growth rates as their smaller counterparts.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Azam F, Fenchel T, Field JG, Gray JS, Meyer-Reil LA, Thingstad F (1983) The ecological role of water-columm microbes in the sea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 10: 257–263
Berman T (1983) Phosphorus uptake by microplankton in estuarine and coastal shelf waters near Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA. Estuaries 7: 98–101
Berman T (1985) Uptake of [32P] orthophosphate by algae and bacteria in Lake Kinneret. J Plank Res 7: 71–84
Currie DJ (1986) Does orthophosphate uptake supply sufficient phosphorus to phytoplankton to sustain their growth? Can J Fish Aquat Sci 43: 1482–1487
Currie DJ, Kalff J (1984a) A comparison of the abilities of freshwater algae and bacteria to acquire and retain phosphorus. Limnol Oceanogr 29: 298–310
Currie DJ, Kalff J (1984b) The relative importance of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton in phosphorus uptake in freshwater. Limnol Oceanogr 29: 311–321
Currie DJ, Bentzen E, Kalff J (1986) Does algal-bacterial phosphorus partitioning vary among lakes? A comparison study of orthophosphate uptake and alkaline phosphatase activity in freshwater. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 43: 311–318
de Haan H, Wanders JBW, Moed JR (1982) Multiple addition bioassay of Tjeukemeer water. Hydrobiologia 88: 233–244
Friebele ES, Correll DL, Faust MA (1978) Relationship between phytoplankton cell size and the rate of orthophosphate uptake: in situ observations of an estuarine population. Mar Biol 45: 39–52
Gaedeke A, Sommer U (1986) The influence of the frequency of periodic disturbances on the maintenance of phytoplankton diversity. Oecologia (Berlin) 71: 25–28
Goldman JC, McCarthy JJ, Peavey DG (1979) Growth rate influence on the chemical composition of phytoplankton in oceanic waters. Nature 299: 210–215
Grenney WJ, Bella DA, Curl HC Jr (1973) A theoretical approach to interspecific competition in phytoplankton communities. Am Nat 107: 405–425
Healey FP (1985) Interacting effects of light and nutrient limitation on the growth rate of Synechococcus linearis (Cyanophyceae). J Phycol 21: 134–146
Herbland A, Le Bouteiller A, Raimbault P (1985) Size structure of phytoplankton biomass in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Deep-Sea Res 32: 819–836
Hulburt EM (1970) Competition for nutrients by marine phytoplankton in oceanic, coastal and estuarine regions. Ecology 51: 475–484
Kilham SS (1986) Dynamics of Lake Michigan natural phytoplankton communities in continuous cultures along a Si:P loading gradient. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 43: 351–360
Lane JL, Goldman CR (1984) Size-fractionation of natural phytoplankton communities in nutrient bioassay studies. Hydrobiologia 118: 219–223
Laws EA (1975) The importance of respiration losses in controlling the size distribution of marine phytoplankton. Ecology 56: 419–426
Lean DRS (1973) Phosphorus dynamics in lakewater. Science 179: 678–680
Lean DRS (1976) Phosphorus kinetics in water: influence of membrane filter pore size and low-pressure filtration. J Fish Res Board Can 33: 2800–2804
Lean DRS (1984) Metabolic indicators for phosphorus limitation. Verh Internat Verein Limnol 22: 211–218
Lean DRS, White E (1983) Chemical and radiotracer measurements of phosphorus uptake by lake plankton. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 40: 147–155
Lehman JT, Sandgren CD (1982) Phosphorus dynamics of the prokaryotic nannoplankton of a Michigan Lake. Limnol Oceanogr 27: 828–838
Lehman JT, Scavia D (1982) Microscale nutrient patches produced by zooplankton. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79: 5001–5005
Maestrini SY, Bonin DJ (1981) Competition among phytoplankton based on inorganic macronutrients. In: Platt T (ed) Physiological basis of phytoplankton ecology. Can Bull Fish Aquat Sci Dept of Fisheries and Oceans. Ottawa, pp 264–278
Malone TC (1980) Algal size: In: Morris I (ed) The physiological ecology of phytoplankton. University of California Press, Berkeley, pp 433–463
Menzel DW, Hulburt EM, Ryther JH (1963) The effects of enriching Sargasso Sea water on the production and species composition of the phytoplankton. Deep-Sea Res 10: 209–219
Paerl HW, Lean DRS (1976) Visual observations of phosphorus movement between algae, bacteria and abiotic particles in lake waters. J Fish Res Board Can 33: 2805–2813
Rhee G-Y, Gotham IJ (1980) Optimum N:P ratios and co-existence of planktonic algae. J Phycol 16: 486–489
Robinson JV, Sandgren CD (1983) The effects of temporal environmental heterogeneity on community structure: a replicated experimental study. Oecologia (Berlin) 57: 98–102
Scavia D, Fahnenstiel GL, Davis JA, Kreis RG Jr (1984) Small-scale nutrient patchiness: some consequences and a new encounter mechanism. Limnol Oceanogr 29: 785–793
Schindler DB, Paerl HW, Keller PE, Lean DRS (1979) Environmental constraints on Anabaena N2-and CO2-fixation: effects of hyperoxia and phosphate depletion on blooms and chemostat cultures. In: Barica J, Mur LR (eds) Developments in hydrobiology, vol 2. Dr. W Junk by Publ, The Hague, pp 221–229
Shuter BJ (1978) Size dependence of phosphorus and nitrogen subsistence quotes in unicellular microorganisms. Limnol Oceanogr 23: 1248–1255
Smith REH, Kalff J (1983) Competition for phosphorus among co-occurring freshwater phytoplankton. Limnol Oceanogr 28: 448–465
Sommer U (1984) The paradox of the plankton: Fluctuations of phosphorus availability maintain diversity of phytoplankton in flow-through cultures. Limnol Oceanogr 29: 633–636
Sommer U (1985) Comparison between steady state and nonsteady state competition: experiments with natural phytoplankton. Limnol Oceanogr 30: 335–346
Sommer U (1986) Phytoplankton competition along a gradient of dilution rates. Oecologia (Berlin) 68: 503–506
Stainton MP, Capel MJ, Armstrong FAJ (1977) The chemical analysis of fresh water. Can Fish Mar Serv Spec Publ 25: 180 p
Stephens K, Brandstaetter R (1983) A laboratory manual, collected methods for the analysis of water. Can Tech Rep Fish Aquat Sci 1159: 68 p
Stockner JG (1981) Whole-lake fertilization for the enhancement of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in British Columbia, Canada. Verh Internat Verein Limnol 21: 293–299
Stockner JG, Antia NJ (1986) Algal picoplankton from marine and freshwater ecosystems: a multidisciplinary perspective. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 43: 2472–2503
Stockner JG, Shortreed KS (1985) Whole-lake fertilization experiments in coastal British Columbia Lakes: Empirical relationships between nutrient inputs and phytoplankton biomass and production. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 42: 649–658
Strathmann RR (1967) Estimating the organic carbon content of phytoplankton from cell volume or plasma volume. Limnol Oceanogr 12: 411–418
Suttle CA, Harrison PJ (1986) Phosphate uptake rates of phytoplankton assemblages grown at different dilution rates in semicontinuous culture. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 43: 1474–1481
Suttle CA, Harrison PJ (1987a) Ammonium and phosphate uptake rates, N:P supply ratios, and evidence for N and P limitation in some oligotrophic lakes. Limnol Oceanogr (in press)
Suttle CA, Harrison PJ (1987b) Size-fractionated ammonium and phosphate uptake rates of phytoplankton from an oligotrophic freshwater lake. J Plankton Res (in press)
Suttle CA, Chan AM, Taylor WD, Harrison PJ (1986) Grazing of phytoplankton by microflagellates. J Plankton Res 8: 393–398
Suttle CA, Stockner JG, Harrison PJ (1987) Effects of nutrient pulses on community structure and cell size of a freshwater phytoplankton assemblage in culture. Can J Fish Aquat Sci (in press)
Thomas WH (1969) Phytoplankton nutrient enrichment experiments of Baja California and in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. J Fish Res Board Can 26: 1133–1145
Tilman D, Kiesling R, Sterner R, Kilham SS, Johnson FA (1986) Green, bluegreen and diatom algae: taxonomic differences in competitive ability for phosphorus, silica and nitrogen. Arch Hydrobiol 106: 473–485
Turpin DH, Harrison PJ (1979) Limiting nutrient patchiness and its role in phytoplankton ecology. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 39: 151–166
Turpin DH, Harrison PJ (1980) Cell size manipulation in natural marine, planktonic, diatom communities. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 37: 1193–1195
Watson S, Kalff J (1981) Relationships between nannoplankton and lake trophic status. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 38: 960–967
Wurtsbaugh WA, Vincent WF, Tapia RA, Vincent CL, Richerson PJ (1985) Nutrient limitation of algal growth and nitrogen fixation in a tropical alpine lake, Lake Titicaca (Peru/Bolivia). Fresh Biol 15: 185–195
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Suttle, C.A., Stockner, J.G., Shortreed, K.S. et al. Time-courses of size-fractionated phosphate uptake: are larger cells better competitors for pulses of phosphate than smaller cells?. Oecologia 74, 571–576 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380055
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380055