Biogeographical controls on the marine nitrogen fixers
Name
Follows_Biogeographical controls.pdf
Size
760.86 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
02563e8835030063b0a90652b9b83f3a
Author(s)
Monteiro, Fanny Meline
Dutkiewicz, Stephanie
Follows, Michael J.
Date Issued
April 2011
Journal
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Citation
Monteiro, F. M., S. Dutkiewicz, and M. J. Follows. “Biogeographical Controls on the Marine Nitrogen Fixers.” Global Biogeochemical Cycles 25, no. 2 (April 21, 2011): n/a–n/a. © 2011 the American Geophysical Union
Version
Final published version
Abstract
We interpret the environmental controls on the global ocean diazotroph biogeography in the context of a three-dimensional global model with a self-organizing phytoplankton community. As is observed, the model's total diazotroph population is distributed over most of the oligotrophic warm subtropical and tropical waters, with the exception of the southeastern Pacific Ocean. This biogeography broadly follows temperature and light constraints which are often used in both field-based and model studies to explain the distribution of diazotrophs. However, the model suggests that diazotroph habitat is not directly controlled by temperature and light, but is restricted to the ocean regions with low fixed nitrogen and sufficient dissolved iron and phosphate concentrations. We interpret this regulation by iron and phosphate using resource competition theory which provides an excellent qualitative and quantitative framework.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Global Change Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1029/2010gb003902
