DMCA
Review of nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism in seagrasses (2000)
| Citations: | 18 - 0 self |
BibTeX
@MISC{Touchette00reviewof,
author = {Brant W. Touchette and Joann M. Burkholder},
title = {Review of nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism in seagrasses},
year = {2000}
}
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Abstract
Within the past few decades, major losses of seagrass habitats in coastal waters impacted by cultural eutrophication have been documented worldwide. In confronting a pressing need to improve the management and protection of seagrass meadows, surprisingly little is known about the basic nutritional physiology of these critical habitat species, or the physiological mechanisms that control their responses to N and P gradients. The limited available evidence to date already has revealed, for some seagrass species such as the north temperate dominant Zostera marina, unusual responses to nutrient enrichment in comparison to other vascular plants. Seagrasses derive N and P from sediment pore water (especially ammonium) and the water column (most nitrate). The importance of leaves versus roots in nutrient acquisition depends, in part, on the enrichment conditions. For example, a shift from reliance on sediment pore water to increased reliance on the overlying water for N and P supplies has been observed under progressive water-column nutrient enrichment. Seagrasses may be N-limited in nutrient-poor waters with sandy or (less so) organic sediments, and P-limited in carbonate sediments. On the basis of data from few species, seagrasses 2 23 1
Keyphrases
phosphorus metabolism sediment pore water carbonate sediment major loss critical habitat specie enrichment condition nutrient acquisition organic sediment coastal water unusual response progressive water-column nutrient enrichment physiological mechanism nutrient enrichment vascular plant seagrass meadow overlying water basic nutritional physiology cultural eutrophication seagrass derive seagrass specie limited available evidence north temperate dominant zostera marina nutrient-poor water water column seagrass habitat past decade
