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An experimental investigation of phytoplankton nutrient limitation in two contrasting low arctic lakes

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Abstract

We investigated whether phytoplankton communities in two lakes in SW Greenland were phosphorus or nitrogen limited. The study lakes have contrasting water chemistry (mean conductivities differ ten fold) and are located near Kangerlussuaq, SW Greenland (~67°N, 51°W). A microcosm nutrient enrichment experiment was performed in June 2003 to determine whether nitrate or phosphate addition stimulated phytoplankton growth. Samples were analysed for species composition, biomass, and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA). Initially, both lakes had extremely low total phosphorus but high total nitrogen concentrations and high APA, suggesting that the phytoplankton were phosphorus limited prior to the start of the experiment. The phytoplankton composition and biomass (mainly Ochromonas spp.) responded to phosphate but not to nitrate addition. In both lakes, chlorophyll a increased significantly when phosphate was added. Furthermore, APA was significantly lower in the two lakes when phosphate was added compared to the control and the nitrogen addition treatment. The dominance of mixotrophic phytoplankton and high DOC values suggest that these lakes may be regulated by microbial loop processes.

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Acknowledgements

The fieldwork was supported by a grant to NJA by the Danish Natural Science Research Council (SNF). The project was sponsored by the Biology Education Program for Master’s Theses, Lund University. H. Perren, B. Perren, P. Christiansen are gratefully thanked for assistance in the field. M. Svensson is acknowledged for help with APA analyses, and C. Pålsson for identification of mixotrophic flagellates. Dr P. Carlsson helped with nitrogen analysis and provided helpful comments on the manuscript. We are grateful for the constructive comments provided by the reviewers.

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  1. Andreas Brutemark

    Present address: Marine Sciences Division, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Kalmar, 39182, Kalmar, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Limnology, Department of Ecology, Lund University, 22362, Lund, Sweden

    Andreas Brutemark & Karin Rengefors

  2. Department of Geography, Loughborough University, LE11 3TU, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK

    N. John Anderson

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  1. Andreas Brutemark
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Correspondence to Andreas Brutemark.

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Brutemark, A., Rengefors, K. & Anderson, N.J. An experimental investigation of phytoplankton nutrient limitation in two contrasting low arctic lakes. Polar Biol 29, 487–494 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-005-0079-0

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