Jp. Grover et al., Algal growth in warm temperate reservoirs: Nutrient-dependent kinetics of individual taxa and seasonal patterns of dominance, ARCH HYDROB, 145(1), 1999, pp. 1-23
Samples of lake water were collected from two warm temperate reservoirs in
northern Texas (USA), Cedar Creek Lake, and Eagle Mountain Lake, over a per
iod of seven months from winter to summer. Under simulated field conditions
, dilution bioassays were applied to assess limitation by N, P and trace nu
trients. Growth kinetics of individual phytoplankton taxa in response to se
veral levels of enrichment with N or P were analyzed. In every season studi
ed, growth rates of algal laxa were often nutrient limited, with N-limitati
on and colimitation being especially common. Cyclotella was the dominant ta
xon in both lakes on an annual average, reaching its highest biomass in win
ter. During succession from winter to summer, there was a partial replaceme
nt of Cyclotella by cyanobacteria. Estimates of the Monod growth parameters
were obtained for 21 taxa under N-limitation, and for 11 taxa under P-limi
tation. Cyclotella spp. should compete well for N in that its growth affini
ty was the highest of all the algal taxa we could study.