| Phytoplankton growth and the microscale nutrient patch hypothesis (1984) | |||||||||||||
Abstract | |||||||||||||
| It has been hypothesized that phytoplankton in situ grows faster than measured nutrient concentrations should allow, and that microscale heterogeneity in nutrient concentration permits phytoplankton to maintain the elevated growth rates. An examination of literature data failed to reveal any significant difference between observed growth rates and those predicted from steady-state N-growth kinetics. On the other hand, P kinetics may underestimate growth rates. However, it is demonstrated that a non-homogeneous nutrient supply regime should actually decrease phytoplankton growth rates, regardless of the physical characteristics of the patches. Patchiness cannot account for elevated phytoplankton growth rates in situ. | |||||||||||||
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