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Updated: May 4, 2026

Measuring Phosphorus Release in Laboratory Microcosms for Water Quality Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2019
Interactive effects of aluminium and phosphorus on microbial leaf litter processing in acidified streams: a microcosm
Hugues Clivot1, Faustine Charmasson1, Vincent Felten1
1Université de Lorraine, CNRS UMR 7360, Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Environnements Continentaux (LIEC), Campus Bridoux, Rue du Général Delestraint, 57070 Metz, France.
Abstract:
Decline in pH, elevated aluminium (Al) concentrations, and base cations depletion often covary in acidified headwater streams. These parameters are considered as the main factors reducing microbial activities involved in detritus processing, but their individual and interactive effects are still unclear. In addition to its direct toxicity, Al can also reduce the bioavailability of phosphorus (P) in ecosystems through the formation of stable chemical complexes. A three week microcosm experiment was carried out in acid conditions to assess the interactive effects of Al (three levels: 0, 200, and 1,000 μg L(-1)) and P (25, 100, and 1,000 μg L(-1)) on alder leaf litter processing by an aquatic hyphomycete consortium. Our results showed that Al alone reduced fungal growth and altered fungal decomposer activities. High P levels, probably through an alleviation of Al-induced P limitation and a reduction of Al toxic forms, suppressed the negative effects of Al on detritus decomposition.
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