We carried out 2 experimental simulations in which natural planktonic communities were subjected to a combination of turbulence and variable nutrient forcing. Nutrient addition was varied both in terms of total nutrient load and in the balance of elements. Unbalanced nutrient inputs (with regard to Redfield values) and varying nitrogen sources are frequent in coastal areas heavily exposed to hu...

Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment affects the biogeochemical cycles and nutrient stoichiometry of coastal ecosystems and is often associated with coral reef decline. However, the mechanisms by which dissolved inorganic nutrients, and especially nitrogen forms (ammonium versus nitrate) can disturb the association between corals and their symbiotic algae are subject to controversial debate. Here,...

Embryonic mortality in many aquatic animals, including most amphibian species, is usually very high. In addition to mechanical and chemical defences, some species have developed behavioural patterns that can increase egg survival. For example, females of some newt species protect their eggs by wrapping them in leaves of aquatic plants. We have studied the effects of ammonium nitrate (nominal co...

Neomycin production of Streptomyces fradiae NCIM 2418 was optimized by using response surface methodology (RSM), which is powerful mathematical approach comprehensively applied in the optimization of solid state fermentation processes. In the first step of optimization, with Placket-Burman design, ammonium chloride, sodium nitrate, L-histidine, and ammonium nitrate were established to be the cr...

A central assumption of ecosystem N cycling has been that organic N must be converted to inorganic N to be available for plant uptake, but this has been questioned by recent studies. We examined uptake of nitrate, ammonium and the amino acid glycine in three species from Eucalyptus obliqua L'Her. wet forest in Tasmania, south-eastern Australia, to test the hypothesis that all three species can ...

A thermodynamical model for treatment of gas/aerosol partitioning of semi volatile inorganic aerosols has been implemented in a global chemistry and aerosol transport model (Oslo CTM2). The sulphur cycle and sea salt particles have been implemented earlier in the Oslo CTM2 and the focus of this study is on nitrate partitioning to the aerosol phase and if particulate nitrate is expected to form ...

A wide variety of agricultural chemicals with potential to affect amphibian health are released into the environment daily. Most of these chemicals are xenobiotic compounds that are highly toxic to embryos, tadpoles, and terrestrial stages. Other substances that occur in pristine environments at harmless concentrations, such as inorganic nitrogenous compounds, may reach potentially toxic levels...

Nitrate serves as a potent signal to control gene expression in plants and algae, but little is known about the signaling role of nitrite, the direct product of nitrate reduction. Analysis of several nitrate-induced genes showed that nitrite increases mRNA levels as rapidly as nitrate in nitrogen-starved Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) roots. Both nitrite and nitrate induction are apparent a...