Heterogeneity in nitrogen sources enhances productivity and nutrient use efficiency in algal polycultures
Abstract
Algae hold much promise as a potential feedstock for biofuels and other products, but scaling up biomass production remains challenging. Here, we hypothesized that multispecies assemblages, or polycultures, could improve crop yield when grown in media with mixed nitrogen sources, as found in wastewater. We grew mono- and poly- cultures of algae in four distinct growth media that differed in the form (i.e. nitrate, ammonium, urea, plus a mixture of all three), but not the concentration of nitrogen. We found that mean biomass productivity was positively correlated with algal species richness, and that this relationship was strongest in mixed nitrogen media (on average 88% greater biomass production in 5-species polycultures than in monocultures in mixed nitrogen treatment). We also found that the relationship between nutrient use efficiency and species richness was positive across nitrogen treatments, but greatest in mixed nitrogen media. While polycultures outperformed the most productive monoculture only 0-14% of the time in this experiment, they outperformed the average monoculture 26-52% of the time. Our results suggest that algal polycultures have the potential to be highly productive, and can be effective in recycling nutrients and treating wastewater, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution for biofuel production.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[1];
[1]
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division
- Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1423104
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Science and Technology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 52; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 09 BIOMASS FUELS; Algae; biofuel; diversity; polyculture; productivity
Citation Formats
Mandal, Shovon, Shurin, Jonathan B., Efroymson, Rebecca A., and Mathews, Teresa J.. Heterogeneity in nitrogen sources enhances productivity and nutrient use efficiency in algal polycultures. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b05318.
Mandal, Shovon, Shurin, Jonathan B., Efroymson, Rebecca A., & Mathews, Teresa J.. Heterogeneity in nitrogen sources enhances productivity and nutrient use efficiency in algal polycultures. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05318
Mandal, Shovon, Shurin, Jonathan B., Efroymson, Rebecca A., and Mathews, Teresa J.. Wed .
"Heterogeneity in nitrogen sources enhances productivity and nutrient use efficiency in algal polycultures". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b05318. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1423104.
@article{osti_1423104,
title = {Heterogeneity in nitrogen sources enhances productivity and nutrient use efficiency in algal polycultures},
author = {Mandal, Shovon and Shurin, Jonathan B. and Efroymson, Rebecca A. and Mathews, Teresa J.},
abstractNote = {Algae hold much promise as a potential feedstock for biofuels and other products, but scaling up biomass production remains challenging. Here, we hypothesized that multispecies assemblages, or polycultures, could improve crop yield when grown in media with mixed nitrogen sources, as found in wastewater. We grew mono- and poly- cultures of algae in four distinct growth media that differed in the form (i.e. nitrate, ammonium, urea, plus a mixture of all three), but not the concentration of nitrogen. We found that mean biomass productivity was positively correlated with algal species richness, and that this relationship was strongest in mixed nitrogen media (on average 88% greater biomass production in 5-species polycultures than in monocultures in mixed nitrogen treatment). We also found that the relationship between nutrient use efficiency and species richness was positive across nitrogen treatments, but greatest in mixed nitrogen media. While polycultures outperformed the most productive monoculture only 0-14% of the time in this experiment, they outperformed the average monoculture 26-52% of the time. Our results suggest that algal polycultures have the potential to be highly productive, and can be effective in recycling nutrients and treating wastewater, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution for biofuel production.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.7b05318},
journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
number = 6,
volume = 52,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {2}
}
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Figures / Tables:
Figure 1: Effect of species richness on biomass production in different nitrogen treatments. Each data point indicates the mean biomass production across all compositions of the same species richness and similar nitrogen treatment, averaged biomass over seven sampling dates of experiment (15, 18, 22, 25, 29, 32, and 36 days).more »
Figures / Tables found in this record: