Production and Utilization of Dissolved Organic Carbon During in situ Phytoplankton Photosynthesis Measurements

✍ Scribed by Dr. Harold L. Allen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 434 KB
• Volume: 58
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1434-2944
• DOI: 10.1002/iroh.19730580606

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Rates of phytoplankton photosynthesis, extracellular release of dissolved organic carbon, and production or utilization of dissolved organic carbon during in situ incubation were measured in a soft‐water Vermont lake during summer thermal stratification.

Phytoplankton photosynthesis rates were frequently in the range of 300–600 mg C m^−2^ of lake surface day^−1^; extracellular release of previously fixed organic carbon was generally in the range of 20–75% of the carbon incorporated into cell biomass, as determined by gas‐phase radio‐analysis. Rates of increase or decrease in total dissolved organic carbon occurring in light and dark incubated phytoplankton samples, during brief (4 hour) in situ measurements, indicate that a significant fraction of the total dissolved organic carbon „pool”︁ is probably labile and rapidly being cycled.