How long will take to see the effect of P limitation on the growth of blue-green algal community?
In the events of phosphorus availability, phytoplankton take in excess phosphorus. Storage of excess phosphorus is called ‘luxury uptake’. As a result, the cell may contain 8 – 16 times more phosphorus than the minimum required quota. As a consequence, it is theoretically able to sustain three or possibly four cell doublings without taking up any more phosphorus from the environment. It has been suggested that phosphorus storage in blue-green algae may be greater than in other algae, providing them with a competitive advantage.
