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Science 12 August 1983:
Vol. 221. no. 4611, pp. 669 - 671
DOI: 10.1126/science.221.4611.669
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Articles

Low Nitrogen to Phosphorus Ratios Favor Dominance by Blue-Green Algae in Lake Phytoplankton

VAL H. SMITH 1

1 Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 1B1

An analysis of growing season data from 17 lakes throughout the world suggests that the relative proportion of blue-green algae (Cyanophyta) in the epilimnetic phytoplankton is dependent on the epilimnetic ratio of total nitrogen to total phosphorus. Blue-green algae tended to be rare when this ratio exceeded 29 to 1 by weight, suggesting that modification of this ratio by control of nutrient additions may provide a means by which lake water quality can be managed.

Submitted on June 4, 1982
Revised on February 28, 1983


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