Effects of Upstream Lakes and Nutrient Limitation on Periphytic Biomass and Nitrogen Fixation in Oligotrophic, Subalpine Streams

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Freshwater Biology

Volume

52

Issue

11

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Publication Date

2007

Keywords

upstream lakes, nutrient limitation, periphyton biomass, nitrogen fixation, oligotrophic, subalpine, streams

First Page

2211

Last Page

2225

Abstract

1. We conducted bioassays of nutrient limitation to understand how macronutrients and the position of streams relative to lakes control nitrogen (N2) fixation and periphytic biomass in three oligotrophic Rocky Mountain catchments. We measured periphytic chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and nitrogen-fixation responses to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) additions using nutrient-diffusing substrata at 19 stream study sites, located above and below lakes within the study catchments. 2. We found that periphytic chl-a was significantly co-limited by N and P at 13 of the 19 sites, with sole limitation by P observed at another four sites, and no nutrient response at the final two sites. On average, the addition of N, P and N + P stimulated chl-a 35%, 114% and 700% above control values respectively. The addition of P alone stimulated nitrogen fixation by 2500% at five of the 19 sites. The addition of N, either with or without simultaneous P addition, suppressed nitrogen fixation by 73% at nine of the 19 sites. 3. Lake outlet streams were warmer and had higher dissolved organic carbon concentrations than inlet streams and those further upstream, but position relative to lakes did not affect chl-a and nitrogen fixation in the absence of nutrient additions. Chl-a response to nutrient additions did not change along the length of the study streams, but nitrogen fixation was suppressed more strongly by N, and stimulated more strongly by P, at lower altitude sites. The responses of chl-a and nitrogen fixation to nutrients were not affected by location relative to lakes. Some variation in responses to nutrients could be explained by nitrate and/or total N concentration. 4. Periphytic chl-a and nitrogen fixation were affected by nutrient supply, but responses to nutrients were independent of stream position in the landscape relative to lakes. Understanding interactions between nutrient supply, nitrogen fixation and chl-a may help predict periphytic responses to future perturbations of oligotrophic streams, such as the deposition of atmospheric N.

Comments

Originally published by Wiley-Blackwell. Publisher's PDF and HTML fulltext available through remote link.

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