Dissolved silicon in a lake-floodplain system: Dynamics and its role in primary production.

Dissolved silicon (DSi) is essential for aquatic primary production and its limitation relative to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) facilitates cyanobacterial dominance. However, the effects of DSi on phytoplankton growth and community structure have yet to be fully determined in tropical lakes, particularly in relation to N and P. Therefore, this study investigated the role of DSi in Tonlé Sap Lake, Cambodia, a tropical floodplain system well known for its flood-pulse characteristics and high productivity.