Plasticity in algal stoichiometry: Experimental evidence of a temperature‐induced shift in optimal supply N:P ratio
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There is growing empirical and theoretical evidence for a positive relationship between the nitrogen (N)‐to‐phosphorus (P) ratio of phytoplankton and temperature. However, few have tested how the optimal supply N:P ratio; the dissolved N:P ratio at which nutrient limitation switches from one element to the other, responds to temperature. In this study, we conducted a factorial experiment crossing 12 temperature levels with 8 supply N:P ratios to determine the effect of temperature acclimation on the optimal supply N:P ratio of the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We found that the optimal supply N:P increased in a sigmoidal manner from 26.5 to 36.5 (atomic ratio) over a temperature gradient spanning from ∼10 to 18°C, with the steepest change around 15°C. This result is in accordance with trends observed for cellular and seston N:P ratios, and indicates that phytoplankton populations may be shifted toward N‐limitation in a scenario of warmer waters.
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Nitrogen and phosphorus stress as a tool to induce lipid production in microalgae
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“These issues have already become the subject of research [37, 71, 74, 75] and suggest revealing the response of different species and taxonomic groups of microalgae to various transformations of the content nutrients in the growth medium.”
Background
- Authors
- Thrane, J., Hessen, D. O., & Andersen, T.
- Affiliations
- University of Oslo (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Thrane, Jan‐Erik
- Venue
- Limnology and Oceanography
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-03-03
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1346-1354
- ISSN
- 0024-3590 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-5590
- OpenAlex
- W2594769179
- Cited by
- 61
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 3.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Limnology and Oceanography (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Universitetet i Oslo
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Keywords
- N:P ratio, thermal acclimation, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, phytoplankton nutrient limitation, nitrogen limitation, microalgae
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