Effects of nutrient addition on algae pigments during the early stages of phytoplankton bloom

Abstract

To clarify the effects of nutrient addition on algal growth during the early stages of phytoplankton bloom, an microcosm experiment was conducted in early spring; it included two groups of in situ samples: sediment plus lake water (S+W), representing the nominal “control”, and sediment plus 50% BG11 medium and 50% lake water (S+BW), representing the treatment of nutrient addition. The results demonstrated the recruitment biomass of non-cyanobacteria in the treatment group was about 46.7% of that in the control group, and the recruitment biomass of cyanobacteria in the treatment group was approximately 5 times than that in the control. After recruitment, nutrient addition generated remarkable stimulation of the growth of all algae, especially cyanobacteria. The results suggested that the stimulation by nutrient addition of algal growth after recruitment may be responsible for the occurrence of phytoplankton blooms, and the more pronounced promotion of cyanobacteria than non-cyanobacteria was explainable for the strengthening of the dominance of cyanobacteria during eutrophication.