Phytoplankton communities from San Francisco Bay Delta respond differently to oxidized and reduced nitrogen substrates - even under conditions that would otherwise suggest nitrogen sufficiency
The effect of equivalent additions of nitrogen (N, 30-40 μM-N) in different forms (ammonium, NH4+, and nitrate, NO3-) under conditions of different light exposure on phytoplankton community composition was studied in a series of four, 5-day enclosure experiments on water collected from the nutrient-...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2014-07-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmars.2014.00017/full |
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author | Patricia M Glibert Frances P. Wilkerson Richard C. Dugdale Alexander E. Parker Alexander E. Parker Jeffrey eAlexander Sarah eBlaser Susan eMurasko Susan eMurasko |
author_facet | Patricia M Glibert Frances P. Wilkerson Richard C. Dugdale Alexander E. Parker Alexander E. Parker Jeffrey eAlexander Sarah eBlaser Susan eMurasko Susan eMurasko |
author_sort | Patricia M Glibert |
collection | DOAJ |
description | The effect of equivalent additions of nitrogen (N, 30-40 μM-N) in different forms (ammonium, NH4+, and nitrate, NO3-) under conditions of different light exposure on phytoplankton community composition was studied in a series of four, 5-day enclosure experiments on water collected from the nutrient-rich San Francisco Bay Delta over two years. Overall, proportionately more chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin (generally indicative of diatoms) was produced per unit N taken up in enclosures enriched with NO3- and incubated at reduced (~15% of ambient) light intensity than in treatments with NO3- with high (~60% of ambient) light exposure or with NH4+ under either light condition. In contrast, proportionately more chlorophyll b (generally indicative of chlorophytes) and zeaxanthin (generally indicative of cyanobacteria) was produced in enclosures enriched with NH4+ and incubated under high light intensity than in treatments with low light or with added NO3- at either light level. Rates of maximal velocities (Vmax) of uptake of N substrates, measured using 15N tracer techniques, in all enclosures enriched with NO3- were higher than those enriched with NH4+. Directionality of trends in enclosures were similar to phytoplankton community shifts observed in transects of the Sacramento River to Suisun Bay, a region in which large changes in total N quantity and form occur. These data substantiate the growing body of experimental evidence that dichotomous microbial communities develop when enriched with the same absolute concentration of oxidized vs. reduced N forms, even when sufficient N nutrient was available to the community prior to the N inoculations. |
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language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:43:55Z |
publishDate | 2014-07-01 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
spelling | doaj.art-9f894f5f546c46eeb0fff9938544986e2022-12-22T03:30:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452014-07-01110.3389/fmars.2014.0001782276Phytoplankton communities from San Francisco Bay Delta respond differently to oxidized and reduced nitrogen substrates - even under conditions that would otherwise suggest nitrogen sufficiencyPatricia M Glibert0Frances P. Wilkerson1Richard C. Dugdale2Alexander E. Parker3Alexander E. Parker4Jeffrey eAlexander5Sarah eBlaser6Susan eMurasko7Susan eMurasko8University of Maryland Center for Environmental ScienceSan Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco State UniversityThe California Marine AcademyUniversity of Maryland Center for Environmental ScienceSan Francisco State UniversityUniversity of Maryland Center for Environmental ScienceFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionThe effect of equivalent additions of nitrogen (N, 30-40 μM-N) in different forms (ammonium, NH4+, and nitrate, NO3-) under conditions of different light exposure on phytoplankton community composition was studied in a series of four, 5-day enclosure experiments on water collected from the nutrient-rich San Francisco Bay Delta over two years. Overall, proportionately more chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin (generally indicative of diatoms) was produced per unit N taken up in enclosures enriched with NO3- and incubated at reduced (~15% of ambient) light intensity than in treatments with NO3- with high (~60% of ambient) light exposure or with NH4+ under either light condition. In contrast, proportionately more chlorophyll b (generally indicative of chlorophytes) and zeaxanthin (generally indicative of cyanobacteria) was produced in enclosures enriched with NH4+ and incubated under high light intensity than in treatments with low light or with added NO3- at either light level. Rates of maximal velocities (Vmax) of uptake of N substrates, measured using 15N tracer techniques, in all enclosures enriched with NO3- were higher than those enriched with NH4+. Directionality of trends in enclosures were similar to phytoplankton community shifts observed in transects of the Sacramento River to Suisun Bay, a region in which large changes in total N quantity and form occur. These data substantiate the growing body of experimental evidence that dichotomous microbial communities develop when enriched with the same absolute concentration of oxidized vs. reduced N forms, even when sufficient N nutrient was available to the community prior to the N inoculations.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmars.2014.00017/fullammoniumnitratefood websphytoplankton pigmentsnew and regenerated production |
spellingShingle | Patricia M Glibert Frances P. Wilkerson Richard C. Dugdale Alexander E. Parker Alexander E. Parker Jeffrey eAlexander Sarah eBlaser Susan eMurasko Susan eMurasko Phytoplankton communities from San Francisco Bay Delta respond differently to oxidized and reduced nitrogen substrates - even under conditions that would otherwise suggest nitrogen sufficiency Frontiers in Marine Science ammonium nitrate food webs phytoplankton pigments new and regenerated production |
title | Phytoplankton communities from San Francisco Bay Delta respond differently to oxidized and reduced nitrogen substrates - even under conditions that would otherwise suggest nitrogen sufficiency |
title_full | Phytoplankton communities from San Francisco Bay Delta respond differently to oxidized and reduced nitrogen substrates - even under conditions that would otherwise suggest nitrogen sufficiency |
title_fullStr | Phytoplankton communities from San Francisco Bay Delta respond differently to oxidized and reduced nitrogen substrates - even under conditions that would otherwise suggest nitrogen sufficiency |
title_full_unstemmed | Phytoplankton communities from San Francisco Bay Delta respond differently to oxidized and reduced nitrogen substrates - even under conditions that would otherwise suggest nitrogen sufficiency |
title_short | Phytoplankton communities from San Francisco Bay Delta respond differently to oxidized and reduced nitrogen substrates - even under conditions that would otherwise suggest nitrogen sufficiency |
title_sort | phytoplankton communities from san francisco bay delta respond differently to oxidized and reduced nitrogen substrates even under conditions that would otherwise suggest nitrogen sufficiency |
topic | ammonium nitrate food webs phytoplankton pigments new and regenerated production |
url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmars.2014.00017/full |
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