Home Life Sciences Effects of elevated CO2 and phosphorus supply on growth, photosynthesis and nutrient uptake in the marine macroalga Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta)
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Effects of elevated CO2 and phosphorus supply on growth, photosynthesis and nutrient uptake in the marine macroalga Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta)

  • Zhiguang Xu , Dinghui Zou and Kunshan Gao
Published/Copyright: February 12, 2010
Botanica Marina
From the journal Volume 53 Issue 2

Abstract

The red alga Gracilaria lemaneiformis was cultured under different CO2 and phosphorus conditions for 16 days, and its growth, photosynthesis and uptake of nitrate and phosphate were examined in order to establish the longer-term impacts of elevated CO2 and phosphorus supplies on this economically important seaweed. Enrichment with either CO2 or phosphorus in culture markedly increased the growth of G. lemaneiformis compared to the control. Light-saturated photosynthetic rate was enhanced significantly by phosphorus enrichment, but hardly affected by the elevation of CO2 when G. lemaneiformis was grown under low phosphorus conditions. High phosphorus stimulated photosynthetic inorganic carbon utilization and nitrogen uptake. Under low phosphorus conditions, the thalli grown at the high level of CO2 had a lower carbon utilization capacity and a higher nitrogen uptake rate compared to those grown under ambient CO2. Reversed results were found when the algae were grown under high phosphorus conditions. Hence, available phosphorus may regulate inorganic carbon utilization of G. lemaneiformis grown at different CO2 levels, and growth reflected a balance between carbon and nutrient metabolism.


Corresponding author

Received: 2009-7-18
Accepted: 2009-10-28
Published Online: 2010-02-12
Published in Print: 2010-04-01

©2010 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York

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