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Microbial Decomposition of Species of Freshwater Planktonic Algae¹

ABSTRACT

Suspensions of axenically grown algae underwent aerobic decomposition in a solution free of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon. The rate and extent of mineralization of algal cell carbon and nitrogen and the solubilization of algal cell phosphorus varied appreciably among the test organisms. Chlamydomonas oblonga underwent rapid decomposition; Chlorella sp. lost carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus slowly; and Ankistrodesmus falcatus and Astemcoccus superbus lost their carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus at intermediate rates. Microorganisms from sewage markedly influenced the rate of liberation of some of the elements contained in A. falcatus and A. superbus but had little or no effect on the mineralization of carbon and nitrogen or on the release of phosphorus from cells of C. oblonga and Chlorella sp. Cells from 14-day cultures of C. oblonga and A. falcatus were more quickly decomposed than cells from 28-day cultures.

Key Words: Algal decomposition • carbon mineralization • nitrogen mineralization • nutrient regeneration • phosphorus solubilization

¹ Agronomy paper no. 1067. Contribution from the Dept. of Agronomy, New York State Coll. of Agriculture and Life Sci., Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N. Y. 14850.

² Research Assistant and Professor of Soil Science, Cornell Univ., respectively.

Received for publication November 5, 1973.