Evaluation of growth factors concerning competitive dominance between Microcystis wesenbergii and Anabaena spiroides in nutrient-rich condition

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the competitive relationship between two bloom-forming cyanobacterial species (Microcystis wesenbergii and Anabaena spiroides) in culture conditions. Microcystis and Anabaena often coexist in temperate eutrophic lakes, but sometimes Microcystis replaces Anabaena. Many studies have demonstrated the importance of nutrients as selective factors in competition. In this study, however, we mainly focused on gas exchange efficiency, which is represented by the ratio of surface area to volume of culture medium. Here, we report that dissolved inorganic carbon acts as a selective factor in determining the results of competition in static conditions.