| Abstract |
The work in this thesis demonstrates that the toxin composition of harmful cyanobacteria is sensitive to changes in inorganic carbon and nitrogen availability. In addition, the competitive dominance of toxic versus nontoxic strains can shift with changes in CO2 availability. Rising CO2 concentrations and associated global warming are likely to alter the carbon and nitrogen availability in many aquatic ecosystems, and may thereby affect the elemental stoichiometry and species composition of phytoplankton communities as well as the nature of the toxins that they produce.
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