Phosphorus dynamics of the procaryotic nannoplankton in a Michigan lake1

Abstract

The small‐celled cyanobacteria that dominate Third Sister Lake, Michigan, during summer have extraordinary uptake capabilities for phosphate. Under enriched conditions, the cells can double their phosphorus content in 2 min or less but can sustain the high rates for only a few minutes. With equal initial access to the nutrient, the small procaryotes are ultimately more successful than are coexisting eucaryotes in converting the nutrient into new cell biomass.