Anthropogenic activities are increasing inorganic nitrogen (N) loadings to unproductive boreal lakes. In many of these lakes phytoplankton are N limited, consequently N fertilization may affect ecosystem productivity and consumer resource use. Here, we conducted whole lake inorganic N fertilization experiments with six small N limited unproductive boreal lakes (three control and three N enriched) in an area receiving low N dep...

Global change has increased inorganic nitrogen (N) and dissolved organic carbon ( DOC ; i.e., “browning”) inputs to northern hemisphere boreal lakes. However, we do not know how phytoplankton in nutrient poor lake ecosystems of different DOC concentration respond to increased N availability. Here, we monitored changes in phytoplankton production, biomass and community composition in response to whole lake inorganic N fertiliza...

We performed a meta‐analysis comprising field (300 studies) and experimental data (249 studies) from a wide range of lake trophic states and locations. We examined the effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), carbon (dissolved organic matter [DOM]), temperature, latitude, and lake morphometry on the absolute and relative rates of phytoplankton primary production (PPr) and secondary bacterial production (BP). Areal and volumetr...