measuring-photophysiology-attached-stage-colacium-sp-cuvette-type

Measuring Photophysiology of Attached Stage of <em>Colacium</em> sp. by a Cuvette-Type Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer

Fast repetition rate fluorometer (FRRf) is a beneficial method for measuring photosystem II (PSII) photophysiology and primary productivity. Although FRRf ...

National Institute for Environmental Studies

Kobe University

Light is a fundamental driver of ecosystem dynamics, affecting the rate of photosynthesis and primary production. In spite of its importance, less is known about its community-scale effects on aquatic ecosystems compared with those of nutrient loading. Understanding light limitation is also important for ecosystem management, as human activities have been rapidly altering light availability to aquatic ecosystems. Here we show that decreasing light can paradoxically increase phytoplankton abundance in shallow lakes. Our results, based on field manipulation experiments, field observations and models, suggest that, under competition for light and nutrients between phytoplankton and submersed macrophytes, alternative stable states are possible under high-light supply. In a macrophyte-dominated state, as light decreases phytoplankton density increases, because macrophytes (which effectively compete for nutrients released from the sediment) are more severely affected by light reduction. Our results demonstrate how species interactions with spatial heterogeneity can cause an unexpected outcome in complex ecosystems. An implication of our findings is that partial surface shading for controlling harmful algal bloom may, counterintuitively, increase phytoplankton abundance by decreasing macrophytes. Therefore, to predict how shallow lake ecosystems respond to environmental perturbations, it is essential to consider effects of light on the interactions between pelagic and benthic producers.

A shady phytoplankton paradox: when phytoplankton increases under low light.

The biomass ratio of herbivores to primary producers reflects the structure of a community. Four primary factors have been proposed to affect this ratio, including production rate, defense traits and nutrient contents of producers, and predation by carnivores. However, identifying the joint effects of these factors across natural communities has been elusive, in part because of the lack of a framework for examining their effects simultaneously. Here, we develop a framework based on Lotka-Volterra equations for examining the effects of these factors on the biomass ratio. We then utilize it to test if these factors simultaneously affect the biomass ratio of freshwater plankton communities. We found that all four factors contributed significantly to the biomass ratio, with carnivore abundance having the greatest effect, followed by producer stoichiometric nutrient content. Thus, the present framework should be useful for examining the multiple factors shaping various types of communities, both aquatic and terrestrial.

A unified framework for herbivore-to-producer biomass ratio reveals the relative influence of four ecological factors.

Direct measurements of gross primary productivity (GPP) in the water column are essential, but can be spatially and temporally restrictive. Fast repetition rate fluorometry (FRRf) is a bio-optical technique based on chlorophyll a (Chl-a) fluorescence that can estimate the electron transport rate (ETRPSII) at photosystem II (PSII) of phytoplankton in real time. However, the derivation of phytoplankton GPP in carbon units from ETRPSII remains challenging because the electron requirement for carbon fixation (Фe,C), which is mechanistically 4 mol e- mol C-1 or above, can vary depending on multiple factors. In addition, FRRf studies are limited in freshwater lakes where phosphorus limitation and cyanobacterial blooms are common. The goal of the present study is to construct a robust Фe,C model for freshwater ecosystems using simultaneous measurements of ETRPSII by FRRf with multi-excitation wavelengths coupled with a traditional carbon fixation rate by the 13C method. The study was conducted in oligotrophic and mesotrophic parts of Lake Biwa from July 2018 to May 2019. The combination of excitation light at 444, 512 and 633 nm correctly estimated ETRPSII of cyanobacteria. The apparent range of Фe,C in the phytoplankton community was 1.1-31.0 mol e- mol C-1 during the study period. A generalised linear model showed that the best fit including 12 physicochemical and biological factors explained 67% of the variance in Фe,C. Among all factors, water temperature was the most significant, while photosynthetically active radiation intensity was not. This study quantifies the in situ FRRf method in a freshwater ecosystem, discusses core issues in the methodology to calculate Фe,C, and assesses the applicability of the method for lake GPP prediction.

Takehiro Kazama

Lake Biwa Branch Office,
Center for Regional Environmental Research

National Institute for Environmental Studies

Measuring Photophysiology of Attached Stage of Colacium sp. by a Cuvette-Type Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer

Takehiro Kazama

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National Institute for Environmental Studies

Measuring Photophysiology of Attached Stage of Colacium sp. by a Cuvette-Type Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer

Lake Biwa Branch Office,
Center for Regional Environmental Research