Why study the relation between concentrations of nutrients and algal biomass?
Concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, along with algal biomass (the amount of algae per unit area as measured by chlorophyll a), are used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and States to help evaluate nutrient criteria and to assess nutrient enrichment in streams. One common approach to establishing nutrient criteria is to develop a statistical model that can predict algal biomass on the basis of specific nutrient concentrations, with the model used to determine a target nutrient concentration for maintaining algal biomass below a specific level.
