Skip Navigation



JPR Advance Access published online on November 22, 2005
Journal of Plankton Research, doi:10.1093/plankt/fbi093
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
27/12/1273    most recent
fbi093v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Romo, S.
Right arrow Articles by Villena, M.-J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Romo, S.
Right arrow Articles by Villena, M.-J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received June 13, 2005
Accepted October 27, 2005

Article

Phytoplankton strategies and diversity under different nutrient levels and planktivorous fish densities in a shallow Mediterranean lake

Susana Romo 1 * and María-José Villena 1

1 Unidad de Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Campus Burjasot, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjasot, Valencia, Spain

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Susana Romo, E-mail: Susana.Romo{at}uv.es


  Abstract

Two mesocosm experiments were carried out to investigate the dynamic effects of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and planktivorous fish additions on phytoplankton strategies and diversity. The phylogenetic and functional approaches were used to understand phytoplankton ecology in shallow Mediterranean lakes. The experimental approach is new for the study of algal functional groups. Nutrient loading and fish stocks enhanced biomass of small algae, but decreased phytoplankton diversity and species richness. Faster species replacement and fluctuations in diversity occurred above loadings of 1 µM P and 21 µM N. Mesotrophic conditions favoured a diverse pool of species, including nostocales and unicellular flagellate algae (functional groups Sn, S1, L0, Y, Reynolds et al., 2002). C-strategist chlorophytes (small algae from functional group X1) dominated mid-successional assemblages with good light and accessible nutrients. High nutrient concentrations, dim light, presence of organic matter and of larger zooplankton favoured to functional groups S1 of oligophotic filamentous cyanobacteria and J of mixotrophic Scenedemus species. Intermediate nutrient levels with total phosphorus ≤10 µM, water quiescence, transparency and smaller zooplankton prompted dominance of chroococcal cyanobacteria (functional groups X1 and K). Resulting patterns agree and reinforce the validity of plankton functional groups associated with warm, shallow enriched systems, although some changes in the groups are suggested in relation to the structuring role of nutrients and grazing on the functional scheme for phytoplankton.

Communicating Editor: KJ Flynn
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J PLANKTON RESHome page
B. M. Fonseca and C. E. D. M. Bicudo
How important can the presence/absence of macrophytes be in determining phytoplankton strategies in two tropical shallow reservoirs with different trophic status?
J. Plankton Res., November 6, 2009; (2009) fbp107v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J PLANKTON RESHome page
J. A. Delgado-Molina, P. Carrillo, J. M. Medina-Sanchez, M. Villar-Argaiz, and F. J. Bullejos
Interactive effects of phosphorus loads and ambient ultraviolet radiation on the algal community in a high-mountain lake
J. Plankton Res., June 1, 2009; 31(6): 619 - 634.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.