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Spatial and temporal changes in phosphorus partitioning within a freshwater cyanobacterial mat community

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Abstract

Spatial and temporal changes in phosphorus (P) distribution, partitioning and mobility in the benthic cyanobacterial mat (CBM) were evaluated using sequential chemical fractionation. Total P (TP) content was extremely low, ranging from 0.025 to 0.1 mg g−1 DW. Exchangeable and loosely bound P, which we consider to be mainly associated with extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), constituted the most significant proportion of TP (up to 52%, 55 μg g−1 DW), followed by P associated with the authigenic apatites (up to 35% of TP or 18 μg g−1 DW). While we found virtually no exchange of P with the ambient environment, our results show that the partitioning of P forms within CBM is dependent on spatial and temporal fluctuations of physico-chemical parameters, mainly pH and dissolved oxygen. A conspicuous diurnal increase in the reactive, exchangeable and loosely bound P in the top CBM layers was observed. This observation has important ecological implications, as CBM microorganisms therefore have an increased possibility for P “luxury” uptake during the night. This hypothesis is further supported by the fact that P in the organic fraction rises by as much as 53% in the upper layers during the night, indicating some form of cellular uptake. The P-binding potential of EPS also has ecological or biogeochemical consequences and should be considered in stoichiometrical studies where it represents potential danger for great overestimates of cellular P values or the nutritional status of cells.

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Acknowledgment

This research was supported by National Science Foundation grant NSF # 0516159 and partly by Czech grants NAZV QH81012, MSM 6007665801, AV0Z 60050516 and 60170517. We would like to thank Irenio and Russel for help with field sampling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre AS CR, Na Sádkách 7, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Jakub Borovec, Dagmara Sirová, Petra Mošnerová & Jaroslav Vrba

  2. Department of Ecosystem Biology, University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Jakub Borovec, Dagmara Sirová, Petra Mošnerová & Jaroslav Vrba

  3. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Eliška Rejmánková

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  1. Jakub Borovec
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  2. Dagmara Sirová
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  3. Petra Mošnerová
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  4. Eliška Rejmánková
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  5. Jaroslav Vrba
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Correspondence to Dagmara Sirová.

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Borovec, J., Sirová, D., Mošnerová, P. et al. Spatial and temporal changes in phosphorus partitioning within a freshwater cyanobacterial mat community. Biogeochemistry 101, 323–333 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9488-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-010-9488-4

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