Phosphorus accumulates faster than nitrogen globally in freshwater ecosystems under anthropogenic impacts

Combined effects of cumulative nutrient inputs and biogeochemical processes that occur in freshwater under anthropogenic eutrophication could lead to myriad shifts in nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in global freshwater ecosystems, but this is not yet well‐assessed. Here we evaluated the c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology letters Vol. 19; no. 10; pp. 1237 - 1246
Main Authors: Yan, Zhengbing, Han, Wenxuan, Peñuelas, Josep, Sardans, Jordi, Elser, James J., Du, Enzai, Reich, Peter B., Fang, Jingyun
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2016
Subjects:
Accumulation
anthropogenic activities
Anthropogenic factors
anthropogenic impacts
Aquatic ecosystems
Aquatic plants
Biogeochemical cycles
Biogeochemistry
China
Coastal zone
coasts
correlation
decoupling of nitrogen and phosphorus cycles
Ecosystem
Estuaries
Eutrophication
food webs
Fresh Water
freshwater
Freshwater ecology
Freshwater ecosystems
global patterns
Human Activities
imbalance
macrophytes
Nitrogen
Nitrogen - chemistry
Phosphorus
Phosphorus - chemistry
Population density
stoichiometry
surface water
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water Pollution
waterbodies
China
decoupling of nitrogen and phosphorus cycles
stoichiometry
imbalance
anthropogenic impacts
freshwater ecosystems
macrophytes
biogeochemistry
Accumulation
global patterns
waterbodies
ISSN:1461-023X, 1461-0248, 1461-0248
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Combined effects of cumulative nutrient inputs and biogeochemical processes that occur in freshwater under anthropogenic eutrophication could lead to myriad shifts in nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in global freshwater ecosystems, but this is not yet well‐assessed. Here we evaluated the characteristics of N and P stoichiometries in bodies of freshwater and their herbaceous macrophytes across human‐impact levels, regions and periods. Freshwater and its macrophytes had higher N and P concentrations and lower N : P ratios in heavily than lightly human‐impacted environments, further evidenced by spatiotemporal comparisons across eutrophication gradients. N and P concentrations in freshwater ecosystems were positively correlated and N : P was negatively correlated with population density in China. These results indicate a faster accumulation of P than N in human‐impacted freshwater ecosystems, which could have large effects on the trophic webs and biogeochemical cycles of estuaries and coastal areas by freshwater loadings, and reinforce the importance of rehabilitating these ecosystems.
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US National Science Foundation RCN-SEES - No. 1230603
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ArticleID:ELE12658
ark:/67375/WNG-VPVDF92Z-Z
Special Foundation of National Science and Technology Basic Research - No. 2013FY112300
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ISSN:1461-023X
1461-0248
1461-0248
DOI:10.1111/ele.12658