Nutrient concentration of aquatic plants: Patterns across species

Abstract

An extensive compilation of data for 96 phytoplankton species, 46 macroalgal species, 27 seagrass species, 11 species of freshwater angiosperms, and several mixed phytoplankton and macroalgal communities revealed a tendency toward higher concentrations of N and P in phytoplankton compared to those of macrophytes. The depletion of P, and to a lesser extent N, in macrophytes, particularly macroalgae, appears to reflect a greater degree of P and N limitation of growth of natural macrophyte populations, rather than an intrinsic difference in their chemical composition relative to that of phytoplankton. Close associations between nutrients, particularly a strong linear relationship between concentrations of N and P, reflect the similar biochemical basis of the different aquatic plant groups and appear to represent a fundamental characteristic of the plant kingdom. The results obtained indicate, therefore, that aquatic plants form a continuum across a unique pattern of change in nutrient concentrations, despite considerable differences in their architectural, evolutionary, and life histories, and the growth conditions encountered in their habitats.