Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton communities in Subarctic lakes and ponds in Wapusk National Park, Canada

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Polar Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We determined the limiting nutrient of phytoplankton in 21 lakes and ponds in Wapusk National Park, Canada, using nutrient enrichment bioassays to assess the response of natural phytoplankton communities to nitrogen and phosphorus additions. The goal was to determine whether these Subarctic lakes and ponds were nutrient (N or P) limited, and to improve the ability to predict future impacts of increased nutrient loading associated with climate change. We found that 38% of lakes were not limited by nitrogen or phosphorus, 26% were co-limited by N and P, 26% were P-limited and 13% were N-limited. TN/TP, DIN/TP and NO3 −/TP ratios from each lake were compared to the Redfield ratio to predict the limiting nutrient; however, these predictors only agreed with 29% of the bioassay results, suggesting that nutrient ratios do not provide a true measure of nutrient limitation within this region. The N-limited lakes had significantly different phytoplankton community composition with more chrysophytes and Anabaena sp. compared to all other lakes. N and P limitation of phytoplankton communities within Wapusk National Park lakes and ponds suggests that increased phytoplankton biomass may result in response to increased nutrient loading associated with environmental change.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Antoniades D, Douglas MSV, Smol JP (2003) The physical and chemical limnology of 24 ponds and one lake from Isachsen, Ellef Ringnes Island, Canadian High Arctic. Int Rev Hydrobiol 88:519–538

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) (2004) Impacts of a warming Arctic. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Brutemark A, Rengefors K, Anderson NJ (2006) An experimental investigation of phytoplankton nutrient limitation in two contrasting low Arctic lakes. Polar Biol 29:487–494

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter SR, Christensen DL, Cole JJ, Cottingham KL, He X, Hodgson JR, Kitchell JF, Knight SE, Pace ML, Post DM, Schindler DE, Voichick N (1995) Biological control of eutrophication in lakes. Environ Sci Technol 29:784–786

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Melo R, Hebert PDN (1994) A taxonomic reevaluation of North American Bosminidae. Can J Zool 72:1808–1825

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dodson SI, Arnott SE, Cottingham KL (2000) The relationship in lake communities between primary productivity and species richness. Ecology 81:2662–2679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas MSV, Smol JP (1999) Freshwater diatoms as indicators of environmental change in the high Arctic. In: Stoermer EF, Smol JP (eds) The diatoms: applications for the environmental and earth sciences. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 227–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Elser JJ, Urabe J (1999) The stoichiometry of consumer-driven nutrient recycling: theory, observations and consequences. Ecology 80:735–751

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elser JJ, Elser MM, MacKay NA, Carpenter SR (1988) Zooplankton-mediated transition between N- and P-limited algal growth. Limnol Oceanogr 33:1–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elser JJ, Marzolf ER, Goldman CR (1990) Phosphorus and nitrogen limitation of phytoplankton growth in the freshwaters of North America: a review and critique of experimental enrichments. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 47:1468–1477

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elser JJ, Andersen T, Baron JS, Bergström AK, Jansson M, Kyle M, Nydick KR, Steger L, Hessen DO (2009) Shifts in lake N:P stoichiometry and nutrient limitation driven by atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Science 326:835–837

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Environment Canada (1994) Manual of analytical methods—national laboratory for environmental testing, vol 2. Canadian Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington

    Google Scholar 

  • Flanagan KM, McCauley E, Wrona F, Prowse T (2003) Climate change: the potential for latitudinal effects on algal biomass in aquatic ecosystems. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 60:635–639

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guildford SJ, Hecky RE (2000) Total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and nutrient limitation in lakes and oceans: is there a common relationship? Limnol Oceanogr 45:1213–1223

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton PB, Proulx M, Earle C (2001) Enumerating phytoplankton with an upright compound microscope using a modified settling chamber. Hydrobiologia 444:171–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hebert PDN, Hann BJ (1986) Patterns in the composition of arctic tundra pond microcrustacean communities. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 43:1416–1425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hecky RE, Kilham P (1988) Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton in freshwater and marine environments: a review of recent evidence on the effects of enrichment. Limnol Oceanogr 33:796–822

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hillebrand H, Durselen CD, Kirschtel D, Pollingher U, Zohary T (1999) Biovolume calculation for pelagic and benthic microalgae. J Phycol 35:403–424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins GJ, Standke SJ (1992) Phytoplankton methods manual: with special emphasis on waterworks operation internal methods manual. Queen’s Printer for Ontario, Toronto, p 11

    Google Scholar 

  • Jansson M, Blomqvist P, Jonsson A, Bergstrom AK (1996) Nutrient limitation of bacterioplankton, autotrophic nanoflagellates in Lake Ortrasket. Limnol Oceanogr 41:1552–1559

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keatley BE, Douglas MSV, Smol JP (2007) Physical and chemical limnological characteristics of lakes and ponds across environmental gradients on Melville Island, Nunavut/NWT, High Arctic Canada. Arch Hydrobiol 168:355–376

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi T, Church AG (2003) Role of nutrients and zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton growth in a temperate reservoir in New South Wales, Australia. Mar Freshwater Res 54:609–618

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leibold MA (1999) Biodiversity and nutrient enrichment in pond plankton communities. Evol Ecol Res 1:73–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Lepš J, Šmilauer P (2003) Multivariate analysis of ecological data using CANOCO. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine MA, Whalen SC (2001) Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton production in Alaskan Arctic foothill lakes. Hydrobiologia 455:189–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luettich RA, Harleman DRF, Somlyódy L (1990) Dynamic behavior of suspended sediment concentrations in a shallow lake perturbed by episodic wind events. Limnol Oceanogr 35:1050–1067

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lund JWG, Kipling C, Le Cren ED (1958) The inverted microscope method of estimating algal numbers and the statistical basis of estimations by counting. Hydrobiologia 11:143–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maberly SC, King L, Dent MM, Jones RI, Gibson CE (2002) Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton and periphyton growth in upland lakes. Freshwater biol 47:2136–2152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogbebo FE, Evans MS, Waiser MJ, Tumber VP, Keating JJ (2009) Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth in Arctic lakes of the lower Mackenzie River Basin, northern Canada. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 66:247–260

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oksanen L, Fretwell SD, Arruda J, Niemela P (1981) Exploitation ecosystems in gradients of primary productivity. Am Nat 118:240–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Post DM, Taylor JP, Kitchell JF, Olson MH, Schindler DE, Herwig BR (1998) The role of migratory waterfowl as nutrient vectors in a managed wetland. Conserv Biol 12:910–920

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ranhofer ML, Lawrenz E, Pinckney JL, Benitez-Nelson CR, Richardson TL (2009) Cell-specific alkaline phosphatase expression by phytoplankton from Winyah Bay, South Caroline, USA. Estuar Coast 32:943–957

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rautio M, Vincent WF (2007) Isotopic analysis of the sources of organic carbon for zooplankton in shallow Subarctic and Arctic waters. Ecography 30:77–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Redfield AC (1958) The biological control of chemical factors in the environment. Am Sci 46:205–221

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler DW (1977) Evolution of phosphorus limitation in lakes: natural mechanisms compensate for deficiencies of nitrogen and carbon in eutrophied lakes. Science 195:260–262

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler DW (1978) Factors regulating phytoplankton production and standing crop in the world’s freshwaters. Limnol Oceanogr 23:478–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schindler DW, Hecky RE, Findlay DL, Stainton MP, Parker BR, Paterson MJ, Beaty KG, Lyng M, Kasian SEM (2008) Eutrophication of lakes cannot be controlled by reducing nitrogen input: results of a 37-year whole-ecosystem experiment. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:11254–11258

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner WR, Jefferies RL, Carleton TJ, Rockwell RF, Abraham KF (1998) Prediction of reproductive success and failure in lesser snow geese based on early season climatic variables. Glob Change Biol 4:3–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sterner RW (1990) The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus resupplied by herbivores: zooplankton and the algal competitive arena. Am Nat 136:209–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sterner RW (2008) On the phosphorus limitation paradigm for lakes. Int Rev Hydrobiol 93:433–445

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak CJF, Šmilauer P (2002) CANOCO version 4.5. Biometris—Plant Research International, Wageningen

    Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D, Kilham SS, Kilham P (1982) Phytoplankton community ecology: the role of limiting nutrients. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 13:349–373

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D, Kiesling R, Sterner R, Kilham SS, Johnson FA (1986) Green, bluegreen and diatom algae: taxonomic differences in competitive ability for phosphorus, silicon and nitrogen. Arch Hydrobiol 106:473–485

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Geest GJ, Hessen DO, Spierenburg P, Dahl-Hansen GAP, Christensen G, Faerovig PJ, Brehm M, Loonen MJJE, Van Donk E (2007) Goose-mediated nutrient enrichment and planktonic grazer control in arctic freshwater ponds. Oecologia 153:653–662

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vitousek PM, Porder S, Houlton BZ, Chadwick OA (2010) Terrestrial phosphorus limitation: mechanisms, implications and nitrogen-phosphorus interactions. Ecol Appl 20:5–15

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ward HB, Whipple GC (1959) Cladocera. In: Edmonson WT (ed) Fresh water biology. John Wiley and Sons, New York, pp 587–656

    Google Scholar 

  • Whalen SC, Chalfant BA, Fischer EN (2008) Epipelic and pelagic primary production in Alaskan Arctic lakes of varying depth. Hydrobiologia 61:243–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson M, Yeatman H (1959) Free-living copepoda. In: Edmonson WT (ed) Fresh water biology. John Wiley and Sons Inc, New York, pp 735–861

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Ryan Cluff, Matt Ratson and Jill Larkin, for help in the field. Thanks to Parks Canada and Manitoba Conservation for logistical support. Thanks to Dorset Environmental Science Centre research staff, Anneli Jokela, and Natalie Talbot for help with preliminary trials, Paul Hamilton for laboratory assistance and Claire Schelske for suggestions that improved the manuscript. Financial support was provided by a NSERC Discovery grant to Shelley Arnott, International Polar Year funding to Jon Sweetman, and a Northern Scientific Training Program grant to Celia Symons.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Celia C. Symons & Shelley E. Arnott

  2. Parks Canada, 145 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3B 0R9, Canada

    Jon N. Sweetman

Authors
  1. Celia C. Symons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shelley E. Arnott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jon N. Sweetman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Celia C. Symons.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 77 kb)

Supplementary material 2 (PDF 99 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Symons, C.C., Arnott, S.E. & Sweetman, J.N. Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton communities in Subarctic lakes and ponds in Wapusk National Park, Canada. Polar Biol 35, 481–489 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1092-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1092-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation