Journal
ECOSYSTEMS
Volume 13, Issue 7, Pages 966-977Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10021-010-9367-9
Keywords
enrichment; European Union; lake restoration; N:P ratio; nutrient stoichiometry; phosphorus paradigm; water quality
Categories
Funding
- Commonwealth Scholarship
- Environment Bay of Plenty study award
- New Zealand Foundation of Research, Science and Technology [UOWX0505]
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We examine macronutrient limitation in New Zealand (NZ) lakes where, contrary to the phosphorus (P) only control paradigm, nitrogen (N) control is widely adopted to alleviate eutrophication. A review of published results of nutrient enrichment experiments showed that N more frequently limited lake productivity than P; however, stoichiometric analysis of a sample of 121 NZ lakes indicates that the majority (52.9%) of lakes have a mean ratio of total nitrogen (TN) to total phosphorus (TP) (by mass) indicative of potential P-limitation (> 15:1), whereas only 14.0% of lakes have mean TN:TP indicative of potential N-limitation (< 7:1). Comparison of TN, TP, and chlorophyll a data between 121 NZ lakes and 689 lakes in 15 European Union (EU) countries suggests that at the national scale, N has a greater role in determining lake productivity in NZ than in the EU. TN:TP is significantly lower in NZ lakes across all trophic states, a difference that is driven primarily by significantly lower in-lake TN concentrations at low trophic states and significantly higher TP concentrations at higher trophic states. The form of the TN:TP relationship differs between NZ and the EU countries, suggesting that lake nutrient sources and/or loss mechanisms differ between the two regions. Dual control of N and P should be the status quo for lacustrine eutrophication control in New Zealand and more effort is needed to reduce P inputs.
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