A review of carbon and phosphorus ratios in fresh water ecosystems dominated by phytoplankton: Effects of climate and geography

Abstract In freshwater systems, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are essential macroelements. Changing ecological communities as a result of anthropogenic activity and climate change has become a global issue. C:P has been demonstrated to be a trustworthy and sensitive assay for detecting and monitoring single or multiple species in a wide range of samples. We look at how C:P can be utilized to manage and reduce eutrophication and harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwater environments in this review work. Recent research show how C:P has been shown to be a useful strategy for gathering complete data in freshwater ecosystem studies. The total number of papers in ScienceDirect from 2000 to 2023 with the terms “carbon and phosphorus ratios, fresh water ecosystems, and phytoplankton” in the title, abstract, or keywords was acquired for this review. Based on the number of published research demonstrating an increased understanding of the basic scientific concepts behind the carbon and phosphorus ratio, the overall temporal trend in publications on the ratio showed a steady growth. Compared to eutrophic Lake Victoria, which had a C:P of 149, mesotrophic Lakes Malawi and Kivu had a ratio of 263. Applying the carbon‐to‐phosphorus ratio to lake and reservoir eutrophication assessment is feasible, and the increasing C:P ratio serves as a prime indicator for the initiation of lake and reservoir reoligotrophication. Our findings establish the framework for future study into the relationship between organic nutrients and eutrophication, as well as the ecological ramifications of these relationships in freshwater systems. Furthermore, our prediction was that increases in C:P would change the structure of phytoplankton communities.