Lower pH limit for the existence of blue-green algae: evolutionary and ecological implications.
Observations on a wide variety of acidic environments, both natural and man-made, reveal that blue-green algae (Cyanophyta) are completely absent from habitats in which the pH is less than 4 or 5, whereas eukaryotic algae flourish. By using enrichment cultures with inocula from habitats of various pH values, the absence of blue-green algae at low pH was confirmed.
D005075:Biological Evolution; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D004463:Ecology; D005618:Fresh Water; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D013696:Temperature; D014871:Water Microbiology