沉水植物对水-沉积物界面各形态氮含量的影响

在室内模拟条件下研究沉水植物对水-沉积物界面的上覆水、不同层次的间隙水和沉积物中不同形态氮含量的影响.结果表明:总体上,上覆水和间隙水中不同形态氮含量的顺序为有机氮＞氨氮＞硝态氮;沉积物中可交换态无机氮以氨氮为主,沉水植物的存在并没有改变这一格局.不同处理不同层次的间隙水中,各形态氮含量均为下层＞中层＞上层,但沉积物中氨氮和硝态氮含量变化规律不明显.水-沉积物界面氨氮和硝态氮含量呈现明显季节性变化.总之,水-沉积物界面氨氮是沉积物向上覆水扩散的主要氮组分,沉水植物降低了氨氮和硝态氮的扩散通量.     

Interactions between nitrate and ammonium uptake: variation with growth rate,nitrogen source and species

The interaction between nitrate and ammonium uptake was examined as a function of preconditioning growth rate and nitrogen source by adding nitrate, ammonium, or both to nitrogen-sufficient,-deficient, and-starvedSkeletonema costatum (Grev.) Cleve and nitrogen-deficientChaetoceros debilis Cleve. By simultaneously measuring the internal accumulation of intermediates of nitrogen assimilation and the rates of nitrogen assimilation, the metabolic control of nitrogen uptake could be assessed. After the simultaneous addition of nitrate and ammonium to culture, both nitrate and ammonium uptake rates were decreased in comparison with the rates observed when each was added alone, although nitrate uptake was usually decreased more than ammonium uptake. Since both nitrate and ammonium uptake rates vary with time, preconditioning growth conditions, nitrogen sources present, and species, it was necessary to use several different indices to quantify inhibition. In general, ammonium inhibition of nitrate uptake inS. costatum was greatest in cultures preconditioned to ammonium and those at low growth rates, whereas ammonium uptake was inhibited most in cultures preconditioned to nitrate. In nitrogen-deficientC. debilis, nitrate uptake was more inhibited by ammonium, but uptake returned to normal rates more quickly than inS. costatum, whereas inhibition of ammonium uptake was similar. These results explain why the interaction between nitrate and ammonium uptake in the field can be so variable. Inhibition of uptake is not controlled by internal ammonium or total amino acids, nor is it related to the inability to reduce nitrate. Instead, inhibition must be determined in part by the external concentration of nitrogen compounds and in part by some intermediate(s) of nitrogen assimilation present inside the cell.Bigelow Laboratory Contribution No. 82022     

Nitrogen uptake kinetics in three year-classes of Laminaria groenlandica (Laminariales: Phaeophyta)

Nitrate and ammonium uptake rates were measured for three year-classes of the perennial macrophyte Laminaria groenlandica Rosenvinge, collected from nitrogen-depleted waters in Barkley Sound, British Columbia, Canada, in summer 1981. A time course of uptake rate revealed that ammonium uptake was high during the first hour and then decreased for all three year-classes; the opposite pattern was exhibited for the time course of nitrate uptake rate. Nitrate uptake rate increased linearly with nitrate concentration up to the highest level tested (60 M). The nitrate uptake rate of first-year plants was three times higher than second- and third-year plants; ammonium uptake rates showed similar patterns to those for nitrate. The interaction between nitrate and ammonium was examined for first-year plants. Nitrate and ammonium were taken up simultaneously and uptake rates were identical and equal to uptake rates when only nitrate or ammonium was present in the medium. Therefore, first-year plants are able to take up twice as much inorganic nitrogen per unit time when both nitrate and ammonium are present. First-year plants showed significant diel periodicity in ammonium uptake rates, whereas second- and third-year plants showed no periodicity in nitrate or ammonium uptake rates.     

Allocation of nitrogen and carbon in an estuarine salt marsh in Portugal

Above and below-ground biomass and nitrogen and carbon composition ofSpartina maritima, Halimione portulacoides andArthrocnemum perenne, dominating species in plant communities of the lower, middle and higher salt marsh, respectively, were compared in an estuarine salt marsh in Portugal. Plant and soil nitrogen and carbon pools were estimated. For all three species root biomass was significantly higher (70–92% of total biomass) than above-ground biomass. The percentage of root biomass was related to the location of the plants in the marsh: higher values were found in plants growing in the lower salt marsh where the sediment was more unstable and subject to tidal action, which stresses the role of the roots as an anchor. For all three species nitrogen concentrations were highest in leaves, reflecting the photosynthetic role of the tissue. For carbon higher concentrations were found in the stems, with the exception ofS. maritima. In general, lower nitrogen concentrations were found in summer, which can be explained by dilution processes due to plant growth. For both nitrogen and carbon, higher concentrations were found in the soil surface layers. Higher soil nitrogen and carbon levels were associated with higher organic matter contents. Most of the nitrogen in the salt marsh occurred in the sediments (0–40 cm) and only ca. 5.7–13.3% of the total was found in the plants. The greater portion (76.5%–86%) of carbon was found in the sediment.     

Adaptations of Gracilaria pacifica (Rhodophyta) to nitrogen procurement at different intertidal locations

Nitrogen uptake, assimilation and accumulation were studied in three populations of Gracilaria pacifica Abbott in Bamfield Inlet, British Columbia, Canada, over three summers, 1979–1981. Two of these populations were in the intertidal one high and one low, and the third was a subtidal cultured population. Nitrate uptake rates, internal nitrate content and nitrate reductase activities were highest in the low intertidal population. Time-courses of uptake and uptake kinetics were studied. Both nitrate and ammonium were taken up simultaneously. Thalli from the high-intertidal population showed enhanced nitrate and ammonium uptake following mild desiccation, and greater tolerance to desiccation in terms of maintaining nitrogen uptake after severe desiccation. Transplants were made to determine the effect of intertidal height and geographic location on responses to desiccation, nitrogen uptake, assimilation and accumulation. Nitrate and ammonium uptake rates were dependent on intertidal height and geographic location. Transplanting up the intertidal increased nitrate uptake and nitrate reductase activity, but decreased the nitrate content of the thalli. There were few significant differences in ammonium uptake rates, and ammonium, amino acid, and soluble-protein content of the various populations. All high-intertidal populations, transplanted or natural, showed enhanced nitrate uptake rates following desiccation. Enhanced ammonium uptake rates following desiccation were restricted to the high-intertidal thalli in only one geographic location. Tolerance to higher levels of desiccation also appeared to be intertidal height-dependent, but required more than five weeks to fully develop or disappear.     

Effect of nitrogen supply on nitrogen uptake,accumulation and assimilation in Porphyra perforata (Rhodophyta)

Porphyra perforata J. Ag. was collected from a rocky land-fill site near Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and was grown for 4 d in media with one of the following forms of inorganic nitrogen: NO ₃ ^- , NH ₄ ⁺ and NO ₃ ^- plus NH ₄ ⁺ and for 10 d in nitrogen-free media. Internal nitrogen accumulation (nitrate, ammonium, amino acids and soluble protein), nitrate and ammonium uptake rates, and nitrate reductase activity were measured daily. Short initial periods (10 to 20 min) of rapid ammonium uptake were common in nitrogen-deficient plants. In the case of nitrate uptake, initial uptake rates were low, increasing after 10 to 20 min. Ammonium inhibited nitrate uptake for only the first 10 to 20 min and then nitrate uptake rates were independent of ammonium concentration. Nitrogen starvation for 8 d overcame this initial suppression of nitrate uptake by ammonium. Nitrogen starvation also resulted in a decrease in soluble internal nitrate content and a transient increase in nitrate reductase activity. Little or no decrease was observed in internal ammonium, total amino acids and soluble protein. The cultures grown on nitrate only, maintained high ammonium uptake rates also. The rate of nitrate reduction may have limited the supply of nitrogen available for further assimilation. Internal nitrate concentrations were inversely correlated with nitrate uptake rates. Except for ammonium-grown cultures, internal total amino acids and soluble protein showed no correlation with uptake rates. Both internal pool concentrations and enzyme activities are required to interpret changes in uptake rate during growth.     

Desiccation enhanced nitrogen uptake rates in intertidal seaweeds

Desiccation increased nitrate and ammonium uptake rates upon resubmergence in late summer populations of the intertidal macroalgae Gigartina papillata (C.Ag.) J.Ag., Enteromorpha intestinalis (L.) Grev., Fucus distichus L., and Pelvetiopsis limitata (Setch) Gardn. The ratio of nitrogen uptake rates in desiccated plants to rates in hydrated plants (controls) was correlated with the position of the species in the intertidal zone. Gracilaria pacifica Abbott., the species occurring at the lowest shore level, showed no enhancement of nitrogen uptake following desiccation. The high intertidal species such as P. limitata and F. distichus showed a two-fold enhancement of nitrate and ammonium uptake following more extensive desiccation (>30%) and continued uptake even following severe desiccation (50 to 60%). After the plants had been desiccated, the increase in nitrate uptake rates upon submergence lasted much longer than a similar enhancement of ammonium uptake. The duration of the enhanced nitrate uptake was similar to the time required for total rehydration but the uptake rates were not related to the state of rehydration. The potential contribution that this enhanced nitrogen uptake following desiccation could make to total nitrogen procurement for growth is discussed. The experiments were carried out in 1979 or 1980 and repeated in 1981.This paper is dedicated to Dr. R. F. Scagel on the occasion of his retirement for his outstanding contribution to phycology     

Nitrogen uptake and growth of the germlings and mature thalli of Fucus distichus

Fucus distichus L. was collected near Vancouver, Canada, in late fall and early winter, 1981. The effects of the forms of nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium or urea) and periodic exposure to air on growth, rhizoid development and nitrogen uptake in germlings was investigated. Gamete release, fertilization, germination and germling growth had no requirement for a specific form of nitrogen. Periodic exposure to air increased secondary rhizoid development twofold. Nitrate and ammonium uptake rates of the germlings were higher than for the mature thalli (20 to 40 times for nitrate and 8 times for ammonium), while the halfsaturation constant (K _s) values for nitrate were similar (1 to 5 M). The germlings showed saturable uptake kinetics but the mature thalli did not. When germlings were exposed to air it caused a 70% decrease in nitrate uptake, but not change in ammonium uptake. Ammonium uptake in the mature thalli was proportional to the ambient ammonium concentration. Nitrate uptake in the mature thalli appeared to follow saturation kinetics at low nitrate concentrations, but showed a non-saturable component at concentrations greater than 10 M. Presence of ammonium inhibited nitrate uptake by the mature plants but not by the germlings.     

Interaction of leaves and roots of Ruppia maritima in the uptake of phosphate,ammonia and nitrate

Leafy shoots of Ruppia maritima were incubated in two-compartment chambers, with the roots in one compartment and the leaves in the other. Rates of phosphate and ammonia uptake were compared when roots and leaves were supplied with these nutrients separately and simultaneously. Uptake of phosphate and ammonia by leaves was reduced when these nutrients were supplied to the roots, but uptake by roots was not affected by the availability of these nutrients to leaves. This response suggested root-to-shoot translocation predominated. V_max for leaf uptake of phosphate was decreased by 31% when roots were supplied with phosphate simultaneously. Leaf uptake of ammonia was not affected by the availability of ammonia to roots unless the plants were starved for nitrogen. V_max for plants starved for nitrogen was two times greater than for unstarved plants. When roots and leaves of starved plants were exposed simultaneously to ammonia, V_max for ammonia uptake by leaves did not change but K_s increased by 97% to a value similar to that for unstarved plants. Ammonia supplied to leaves or roots inhibited nitrate uptake by leaves by an average of 52%. Ammonia supplied to leaves, however, had no influence on the rate of nitrate uptake by roots.Contribution No. 579 of the Environmental Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency. Use of product names does not imply endorsement by USEPA     

Short-term interaction between nitrate and ammonium uptake inThalassiosira pseudonana: Effect of preconditioning nitrogen source and growth rate

The effect of preconditioning nitrogen source and growth rate on the interaction between nitrate and ammonium uptake was determined inThalassiosira pseudonana (Clone 3H). A new method, using cells on a filter (Parslow et al. 1985), allowed continuous measurement of uptake from 0.5 to 9 min after the addition of nitrate, ammonium, or both, with no variation in concentration during the course of the experiment. For each preconditioning N source and growth rate, a series of uptake experiments was conducted, including controls with only nitrate or only ammonium, and others with different combinations of concentrations of nitrate and ammonium. For the first time, preference for ammonium was separated from inhibition of nitrate uptake by ammonium. Ammonium was the preferred N source, i.e. if nitrate and ammonium were presented separately, ammonium uptake rates exceeded nitrate uptake rates. Preference for ammonium varied with both preconditioning N source and growth rate. Inhibition of nitrate uptake by ammonium, determined by comparing nitrate uptake in the presence and absence of ammonium, was observed at ammonium concentrations > 1µM, but was rarely complete. Inhibition of nitrate uptake by ammonium was less in the ammonium-limited culture than in the cultures growing on nitrate, but invariant with growth rate in the nitrate-grown cultures. Below 1µM ammonium, nitrate uptake was often stimulated and rates exceeded those in the controls without ammonium. Ammonium uptake was not inhibited by the presence of nitrate.T. pseudonana fits the classical view of the interaction between nitrate and ammonium uptake in some respects, such as preference for ammonium, and inhibition of nitrate uptake by ammonium concentrations > 1µM. However, at ammonium concentrations typical of most marine environments, nitrate uptake occurs at rapid rates. In other respects, N uptake inT. pseudonana deviates from the classical view in the following ways: (1) stimulation of nitrate uptake by low concentrations of ammonium; (2) lack of inhibition of nitrate uptake by ammonium at low nitrate concentrations; and (3) variation in preference and inhibition with preconditioning, which is markedly different for other species. Because of the apparent enormous species variation in the interaction between nitrate and ammonium uptake and the lack of detailed information for a variety of species, it is difficult to generalize about the effect of ammonium on nitrate uptake, especially in the field, where prior N availability and species composition are not usually addressed.     

Short-term influence of nutrient availability on the uptake and translocation of phenanthrene in mangrove seedlings

Abstract

The uptake and distribution of phenanthrene, a typical polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, in plant tissues of Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina and the relationship with nutrient (nitrate, ammonium, and soluble reactive phosphorus) availability were investigated. After 12?h of exposure, enhancements in the concentration of nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus markedly decreased the residual level of phenanthrene in roots, while the addition of ammonium significantly increased the residual concentration. Due to the similar enzymatic degradation potential between treatment groups, the variation of phenanthrene concentration in mangrove roots may result from the H⁺/phenanthrene cotransport at the root surface that was influenced by nutrient uptake. Moreover, both nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus amendments significantly increased translocation of phenanthrene from roots to leaves, which likely resulted from the change of hydraulic conductivity in mangrove plants triggered by different nutrient availability.     

Herbivores, tidal elevation, and species richness simultaneously mediate nitrate uptake by seaweed assemblages

In order for research into the consequences of biodiversity changes to be more applicable to real-world ecosystems, experiments must be conducted in the field, where a variety of factors other than diversity can affect the rates of key biogeochemical and physiological processes. Here, we experimentally evaluate the effects of two factors known to affect the diversity and composition of intertidal seaweed assemblages--tidal elevation and herbivory--on nitrate uptake by those assemblages. Based on surveys of community composition at the end of a 1.5-year press experiment, we found that both tide height and herbivores affected seaweed community structure. Not surprisingly, seaweed species richness was greater at lower tidal elevations. Herbivores did not affect richness, but they altered the types of species that were present; seaweed species characterized by higher rates of nitrate uptake were more abundant in herbivore-removal plots. Both tide height and herbivores affected nitrate uptake by seaweed assemblages. Individual seaweed species, as well as entire seaweed assemblages, living higher on the shore had greater rates of biomass-specific nitrate uptake, particularly at high ambient nitrate concentrations. Grazed seaweed assemblages exhibited reduced nitrate uptake, but only at low nitrate concentrations. We evaluated the effect of seaweed richness on nitrate uptake, both alone and after accounting for effects of tidal elevation and herbivores. When only richness was considered, we found no effect on uptake. However, when simultaneous effects of richness, tide height, and herbivores on uptake were evaluated, we found that all three had relatively large and comparable effects on nitrate uptake coefficients and that there was a negative relationship between seaweed richness and nitrate uptake. Particularly because effects of richness on uptake were not apparent unless the effects of tide height and herbivory were also considered, these results highlight the importance of considering the effects of environmental context when evaluating the consequences of biodiversity change in more realistic systems.     

Response of marine phytoplankton to nitrogen deficiency: Decreased nitrate uptake vs enhanced ammonium uptake

The uptake of nitrate and ammonium was measured separately in uni-algal, nitrogen-deficient cultures of four species of marine phytoplankton. Nitrogen-deficient phytoplankton took up ammonium at initial rates which greatly exceeded those measured for nitrogen-sufficient phytoplankton. However, nitrate uptake by nitrogendeficient cultures was generally much slower than either nitrate or ammonium uptake by nitrogen-sufficient cultures or ammonium uptake by nitrogen-deficient cultures. Considerable species differences were observed in the degree to which nitrogen deficiency increased ammonium uptake or decreased nitrate uptake. Loss of ability to take up nitrate, but enhanced ability to take up ammonium, as a result of nitrogen deficiency may be an adaptation to the different mechanisms by which nitrate and ammonium are supplied to the euphotic zone. In areas with an intermittent supply of nitrogen, changes in the ability of some species to take up nitrogen as a result of nitrogen starvation will influence species composition and complicate interpretations of measurements of nitrogen uptake.Contribution no. 1249 from the Department of Oceanography, University of Washington, and contribution no. 82006 from the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences     

Seaweed diversity enhances nitrogen uptake via complementary use of nitrate and ammonium

The consequences of declining biodiversity remain controversial, in part because many studies focus on a single metric of ecosystem functioning and fail to consider diversity's integrated effects on multiple ecosystem functions. We used tide pool microcosms as a model system to show that different conclusions about the potential effects of producer diversity on ecosystem functioning may result when ecosystem functions are measured separately vs. together. Specifically, we found that in diverse seaweed assemblages, uptake of either nitrate or ammonium alone was equal to the average of the component monocultures. However, when nitrate and ammonium were available simultaneously, uptake by diverse assemblages was 22% greater than the monoculture average because different species were complementary in their use of different nitrogen forms. Our results suggest that when individual species have dominant effects on particular ecosystem processes (i.e., the sampling effect), multivariate complementarity can arise if different species dominate different processes. Further, these results suggest that similar mechanisms (complementary nutrient uptake) may underlie diversity-functioning relationships in both algal and vascular-plant-based systems.     

Uptake and translocation of phosphorus in eelgrass (Zostera marina)

The uptake and translocation of phosphorus in eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) was studied in two-compartment chambers using ³²P and autoradiography. Eelgrass was able to take up phosphorus both with leaves and rootrhizomes. Only a small amount (less than 4%) of the total amount of phosphorus taken up from either source was translocated within the plants during an incubation time of 120 h. Release of translocated phosphorus from the plant tissues to the surrounding water was not detected. The autoradiographs showed that the translocated phosphorus was localized mainly in the actively growing plant tissues, i.e. the stem and young leaves, and nodes of the rhizomes and young roots. The uptake of phosphorus in leaves and the bidirectional translocation in the plants was significantly lower in the dark. The uptake of phosphorus in rootrhizomes was unaffected by light-conditions. The concentration of phosphate in the water of one compartment did not affect the phosphorus uptake by the plant parts in the opposite compartment. However, the translocation was significantly reduced when both compartments were supplied with identical phosphate concentrations. The results of the present investigation indicate that the quantitative significance of eelgrass in the cycling of phosphorus between sediment and water may have been greatly overestimated in earlier studies. The amount of phosphorus taken up by root-rhizomes and subsequently translocated to leaves is probably insignificant during most of the growing season in comparison to the amount taken up by the leaves from the surrounding water. However the uptake of phosphorus by root-rhizomes may be significant in the nutrition of eelgrass during periods with low phosphate levels in the water.     

海洋沉积物-水界面营养盐交换过程的研究1

对胶州湾和渤海沉积物分别进行室内培养实验.结果表明,在沉积物中加入营养盐后,铵氮、硅酸盐由沉积物向水体的迁移增大,铵氮的迁移在总溶解态氮的交换中起主要作用,其交换量约占总溶解态氮扩散量的76%,硝酸盐及磷酸盐由水体向沉积物的迁移减弱.在上覆水中加入营养盐后,硝酸盐、磷酸盐由水体向沉积物的迁移增大,硝酸氮的迁移占总溶解态氮交换的主要部分,约为62%.铵由沉积物向水体的迁移减弱,硅酸盐变成由水体向沉积物迁移.沉积物对于上覆水中营养盐的浓度具有一定的调节作用.无论在充空气或充氮气条件下,磷及硅的交换速率变化不明显,铵氮的迁移占总溶解态氮扩散量的98%以上.充氧条件下硝酸盐由沉积物向上覆水的迁移通量较充氮气条件增加.比较两种不同的通量计算方法(积分和拟合),结果表明由两种计算方法计算的交换速率的变化趋势基本是一致的.     

Niche complementarity due to plasticity in resource use: plant partitioning of chemical N forms

Niche complementarity, in which coexisting species use different forms of a resource, has been widely invoked to explain some of the most debated patterns in ecology, including maintenance of diversity and relationships between diversity and ecosystem function. However, classical models assume resource specialization in the form of distinct niches, which does not obviously apply to the broadly overlapping resource use in plant communities. Here we utilize an experimental framework based on competition theory to test whether plants partition resources via classical niche differentiation or via plasticity in resource use. We explore two alternatives: niche preemption, in which individuals respond to a superior competitor by switching to an alternative, less-used resource, and dominant plasticity, in which superior competitors exhibit high resource use plasticity and shift resource use depending on the competitive environment. We determined competitive ability by measuring growth responses with and without neighbors over a growing season and then used 15N tracer techniques to measure uptake of different nitrogen (N) forms in a field setting. We show that four alpine plant species of differing competitive abilities have statistically indistinguishable uptake patterns (nitrate > ammonium > glycine) in their fundamental niche (without competitors) but differ in whether they shift these uptake patterns in their realized niche (with competitors). Competitively superior species increased their uptake of the most available N form, ammonium, when in competition with the rarer, competitively inferior species. In contrast, the competitively inferior species did not alter its N uptake pattern in competition. The existence of plasticity in resource use among the dominant species provides a mechanism that helps to explain the manner by which plant species with broadly overlapping resource use might coexist.     

Regulation of nitrate and ammonium uptake in the Greenland Sea

The uptake of nitrate and ammonium was investigated experimentally during early spring 1989 in the Greenland Sea, with particular attention placed on the roles of irradiance, nitrogen concentrations and nitrateammonium interactions. The phytoplankton assemblage was dominated by the colonial prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis pouchetii. Nitrate concentrations ranged from undetectable at the end of the cruise to greater than 10 M, and ammonium levels ranged from less than 0.1 to 1.9M. The uptake of both nitrate and ammonium as a function of irradiance was found to be a saturation response. Photoinhibition occurred and was found to be greater for ammonium uptake. Ammonium uptake also saturated at irradiance levels five times lower than those needed to saturate nitrate uptake. Nitrate and ammonium uptake as a function of nitrogen concentration also was characterized by a saturation response, with the estimated half-saturation constant (K _s) value for nitrate uptake being 0.29 M. Elevated ammonium concentrations inhibited nitrate uptake, and the response appeared to be one of exponential decrease with increasing concentrations of ammonium. The most important factor in the Greenland Sea influencing ammonium uptake during the spring was irradiace, while both irradiance and ammonium concentrations played major roles in regulating nitrate uptake and new production.     

不同氮肥对油菜B与Mo吸收的影响

利用盆栽试验研究了潮土中不同氮肥对油菜硼钼吸收的影响，结果表明，前期(5周)施氮并没有促进油菜的生长，而且大部分氮肥对油菜生长表现抑制作用，氯化铵处理的作用最大，硫酸铵和尿素处理次之，硝酸铵处理再次之；不同氮肥均有抑制油菜生长前期(5周)硼吸收和累积的作用，其中以氯化铵、硝酸铵和尿素的作用为甚；不同氮肥同样抑制油菜生长前期(5周)对钼的吸收和累积，以硫酸铵处理作用最突出，氯化铵处理次之。但随着时间的推移，10、15周不同氮肥大多促进油菜的生长，增加油菜对硼钼的吸收和累积，且各氮肥处理间的差异逐步减小。     

The rapid response of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum to changes in external and internal nutrient concentration

A nitrogen-deficient batch culture of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum, when resupplied with a mixture of nitrate and ammonium, showed an initial enhanced nitrate uptake rate leading to a large internal concentration (pool) of nitrate. Following this initial nitrate uptake event, nitrate uptake ceased, and nitrate assimilation was inhibited until the ammonium present was used. At this point, nitrate uptake resumed and nitrate assimilation began. No internal ammonium pool was observed during nitrate utilization, but a large nitrate pool remained throughout the utilization of external nitrate. The internal nitrate pool decreased rapidly after exhaustion of nitrate from the culture medium, but growth of cellular particulate nitrogen continued for about 24 h. A mathematical simulation model was developed from these data. The model cell consisted of a nitrate pool, ammonium pool, dissolved organic nitrogen pool, and particulate nitrogen. It was found that simple Michaelis-Menten functions for uptake and assimilation gave inadequate fit to the data. Michaelis-Menten functions were modified by inclusion of inhibitory and stimulatory feedback from the internal pools to more accurately represent the observed nutrient utilization.