engleski

Interspecific variation in metabolic response to P limitation helps explaining sympatric congeneric species diversity (in the northern Adriatic)

The northern Adriatic is characterized by a multitude of steep and quickly changing gradients (e.g. nutrients), both temporal and spatial. The current systems and the major freshwater input (River Po) in particular generate strong gradients in nutrient concentrations with an expressed N/P imbalance and sustained phosphate limitation. This results in a highly structured planktonic ecosystem that allows for a high level of sympatric congeneric species diversity. We analyzed several such sympatric congeneric species with respect to their metabolic reaction towards phosphate limitation. Here we report data on species specific growth rates under different nutrient regimes, phosphate uptake rates, alkaline phosphatase activity, localization and activation patterns and characteristics of alkaline phosphatase activity. Our results demonstrate a high interspecific variation in metabolic responses to phosphate limitation in sympatric congeneric species. The ecological significance and function appears hence to be defined on species level and appears far from homogeneous within genera.

phytoplankton ; Adriatic Sea ; diatoms ; Chaetoceros ; APA ; P limitation

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