Abstract
Phytoplankton require carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the approximate elemental ratio 106:16:1 (Redfield 1958), although this can vary among different taxa and growth conditions (Geider and La Roche 2002; Ho et al. 2003; Sterner et al. 2008). Other nutrients, including iron, calcium, manganese, copper and zinc are also required in smaller and varying amounts (Morel and Hudson 1985). Silica can also be limiting to the growth of diatoms (Carrick and Lowe 2007; Shipe et al. 2007). If the concentration of a particular nutrient drops in real terms or in relation to the other key nutrients, it may limit the growth rate, maximum biomass and/or species composition of a phytoplankton community.
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Shelly, K., Holland, D., Beardall, J. (2010). Assessing Nutrient Status of Microalgae Using Chlorophyll a Fluorescence. In: Suggett, D., Prášil, O., Borowitzka, M. (eds) Chlorophyll a Fluorescence in Aquatic Sciences: Methods and Applications. Developments in Applied Phycology, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9268-7_11
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