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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 June; 49(6): 1488-1493
Copyright © 1985, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Bacterial Biovolume and Biomass Estimations

Gunnar Bratbak

Department of Microbiology and Plant Physiology, University of Bergen, Allegaten 70, N-5000 Bergen, Norway

ABSTRACT

The biomass of bacterial populations in aquatic ecosystems is often estimated by measuring bacterial biovolume and converting this into biomass in terms of carbon. A reliable conversion factor relating the measured bacterial biovolume to bacterial carbon content is essential for this approach. Based on direct measurements of bacterial cell carbon content, cell number, and biovolume, I have derived an average conversion factor of 5.6 x 10–13 g of C µm–3. This conversion factor is 3.4 to 6.6 times higher than most theoretically derived factors currently in use. Both bacterial biomass and bacterial production in aquatic ecosystems may thus have been seriously underestimated.

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 June; 49(6): 1488-1493
Copyright © 1985, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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