A simple nutrient-dependence mechanism for predicting the stoichiometry of marine ecosystems
Abstract
The elemental ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon in marine phytoplankton can diverge significantly from the "Redfield ratio," but the underlying reasons have been hard to elucidate. As a result, global biogeochemical models often ignore this stoichiometric variability. Here we show that, hidden within the noise of a large dataset of particulate measurements, a surprisingly consistent relationship exists between community P:C and dissolved phosphate concentrations. The plasticity of ecosystem stoichiometry in the face of nutrient scarcity, with greater plasticity for P relative to N, appears to explain the main divergences from the Redfield ratio. When included in a simple model, the relationship implies a more important role for low latitude nutrient cycling in the biological pump than is commonly assumed.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- July 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1423917112
- Bibcode:
- 2015PNAS..112.8199G