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Bacterioplankton Growth and Nutrient Use Efficiencies Under Variable Organic Carbon and Inorganic Phosphorus Ratios

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Abstract

We carried out enclosure experiments in an unproductive lake in northern Sweden and studied the effects of enrichment with different dissolved organic carbon (glucose)/inorganic phosphorous (DOC/Pi) ratios on bacterioplankton production (BP), growth efficiency (BGE), nutrient use efficiency (BNUE), growth rate, and specific respiration. We found considerable variation in BP, BGE, and BNUE along the tested DOC/Pi gradient. BGE varied between 0.87 and 0.24, with the highest values at low DOC/Pi ratios. BNUE varied between 40 and 9 g C g P−1, with high values at high DOC/Pi ratios. More DOC was thus allocated to growth when bacteria tended to be C-limited, and to respiration when bacteria were P-limited. Specific respiration was positively correlated with bacterial growth rate throughout the gradient. It is therefore possible that respiration was used to support growth in P-limited bacteria. The results indicated that BP can be limited by Pi when BNUE is at its maximum, by organic C when BGE is at its maximum, and by dual organic C and Pi limitation when BNUE and BGE have suboptimal values.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the Swedish Research Council. We thank Ulf Westerlund for excellent assistance in the field and in the laboratory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, University of Umeå, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Mats Jansson & Ann-Kristin Bergström

  2. Limnology, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 20, SE-75236, Uppsala, Sweden

    David Lymer & Katarina Vrede

  3. Climate Impacts Research Centre (CIRC), Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Jan Karlsson

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  1. Mats Jansson
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  2. Ann-Kristin Bergström
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  3. David Lymer
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  5. Jan Karlsson
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Correspondence to Mats Jansson.

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Jansson, M., Bergström, AK., Lymer, D. et al. Bacterioplankton Growth and Nutrient Use Efficiencies Under Variable Organic Carbon and Inorganic Phosphorus Ratios. Microb Ecol 52, 358–364 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9013-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9013-4

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