Changes in nutrient stoichiometry, elemental homeostasis and growth rate of aquatic litter-associated fungi in response to inorganic nutrient supply.

ABSTRACT: Aquatic fungi mediate important energy and nutrient transfers in freshwater ecosystems, a role potentially altered by widespread eutrophication. We studied the effects of dissolved nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations and ratios on fungal stoichiometry, elemental homeostasis, nutrient uptake and growth rate in two experiments that used (1) liquid media and a relatively recalcitrant carbon (C) source and (2) fungi grown on leaf litter in microcosms. Two monospecific fungal cultures and a multi-species assemblage were assessed in each experiment. Combining a radioactive tracer to estimate fungal production (C accrual) with N and P uptake measurements provided an ecologically relevant estimate of mean fungal C:N:P of 107:9:1 in litter-associated fungi, similar to the 92:9:1 obtained

SUBMITTER: Gulis V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5702729 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature