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Phytoplankton response to pH rise in a N-limited floodplain lake: relevance of N2-fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria

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Abstract

Phosphorus has been traditionally regarded as the controlling nutrient for phytoplankton growth, however, N-limitation is likely to occur in several environments. For example, nitrogen is considered the main nutrient limiting phytoplankton in floodplain lakes of the Paraná River basin. However, N2-fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria (N2-cyano) are usually absent in these water bodies. The low pH values frequently found may limit the development of these algae. We hypothesise that long-term lake isolation allows conspicuous phytoplankton growth during summer, resulting in high photosynthetic rates and pH. This scenario combined with low DIN (dissolved inorganic nitrogen) would favour the development of N2-cyano. Phytoplankton composition was studied during 16 months in a vegetated and isolated floodplain lake in the Paraná basin. Additionally, pH was artificially increased in in situ mesocosms to test effects on phytoplankton structure. Lake phytoplankton was dominated by flagellates (cryptophytes and euglenophytes) and small coccoid algae (chlorophytes and colonial cyanobacteria). Algal biomass was highest during warm periods. Although pH increased up to 8.8 during the second summer period, N2-cyano remained rare, most likely because of the high DIN concentration recorded. The alkalophilic diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana dominated and was positively correlated with pH. Conversely, PO =4 concentrations in the mesocosm experiment were high and DIN remained relatively low. pH enhancement in the treated mesocosms (avg. pH = 8.2) promoted the development of N2-cyano (Anabaena spp.) and C. meneghiniana, which after 1 month of incubation accounted together for 50% of the biomass in contrast to less than 1.6% in control containers. Our results support the hypothesis that during the warm season and under low DIN concentration, high pH favours N2-cyano growth in these lakes. We provide new evidence supporting the idea that even under optimal nutrient conditions, N2-cyano do not thrive unless other requirements are satisfied.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the staff of the Otamendi Reserve (Parques Nacionales), R. Lombardo, D. Medesani, Sara, M. E. Alemanni, A. Podlejski and E. Uliana for their assistance in the field and INTA-Delta for supply the water level of the Paraná River and the precipitation data. This work was supported by CONICET, UBA and ANCYPT (Argentina).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), Camino de Circunvalación Laguna Km 6, CC 164 (B7130IWA), Chascomús, Argentina

    Fernando Unrein

  2. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, (C1428EHR), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Inés O’Farrell, Irina Izaguirre, Rodrigo Sinistro & Guillermo Tell

  3. Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, (C1428EHR), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    María dos Santos Afonso

  4. CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Fernando Unrein, Inés O’Farrell, Irina Izaguirre, Rodrigo Sinistro & Guillermo Tell

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  1. Fernando Unrein
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Correspondence to Fernando Unrein.

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Unrein, F., O’Farrell, I., Izaguirre, I. et al. Phytoplankton response to pH rise in a N-limited floodplain lake: relevance of N2-fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria. Aquat. Sci. 72, 179–190 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-009-0115-1

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