| Summary: | Nutrients are essential in order that living matter can grow and reproduce successfully, and of particular importance are carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) (Stockner and Ashley 2003). C and N have a gas phase and are often readily available in freshwater ecosystems. P, however, does not have a gas phase, cannot be renewed and as such is often regarded as the element in shortest supply in most freshwater environments (Stockner and Ashley 2003). It should be noted, though, that other nutrients, for example silica, are also often of importance in freshwater ecosystems and that nutrients can be co-limiting in terms of primary production (Toetz 1999).
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