模拟氮沉降对两种竹林不同凋落物组分分解过程养分释放的影响

利用原位分解袋法研究了华西雨屏区苦竹(Pleioblastus amarus)和撑绿杂交竹(Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocala mopsi)人工林几种凋落物组分在模拟氮沉降下分解过程中养分释放状态,试验周期为2 a。氮沉降水平分别为对照(CK, 0 g · m^-2 · a^-1)、低氮(5 g · m^-2 · a^-1)、中氮(15 g · m^-2 · a^-1)和高氮(30 g · m^-2 · a^-1),每月下旬定量地对各处理施氮(NH₄NO₃)。结果表明,苦竹林和杂交竹林凋落物主要由凋落叶、凋落箨和凋落枝组成,其中凋落叶约占80%;两个竹种凋落物在分解过程中养分元素释放的种间差异主要与初始养分元素含量有关;凋落物养分元素初始含量对元素释放模式和最终净释放率的大小具有重要的决定作用;目前,这两种竹林生态系统土壤氮输入主要以大气氮沉降(8.24 g · m^-2 · a^-1)为主,同时凋落物氮输入(苦竹和杂交竹林分别为1.93,5.07 g · m^-2 · a^-1)也是一个重要途径;模拟氮沉降对苦竹凋落物碳、磷、钾、钙元素和杂交竹凋落物碳、氮、磷、钾、钙、镁元素释放的抑制作用较弱,处理与对照之间元素总释放率差异一般小于10%;氮沉降显著抑制了苦竹林凋落物氮元素释放,减小幅度为19.0%-27.2%,但由于氮沉降增加对土壤肥力的直接改良作用,氮沉降的增加并不会因为凋落物分解速率的降低造成植物生长所需养分供应的减少;从短期来看,在氮沉降继续增加的情况下,该地区这类竹林生态系统的碳吸存能力仍可能会因为N沉降对植物生长的促进作用而增加。     

丰水期长江感潮河口段网采浮游植物的分布与长期变化

于2009年6、8月对长江口门至江阴的河口段浮游植物进行了拖网采集,共检出浮游植物6门99属239种。其中:硅藻123种,甲藻19种,绿藻和蓝藻各42种,裸藻9种,黄藻4种。河口段网采浮游植物丰度以蓝藻占绝对优势,硅藻次之,两者合计在群落中的比例超过了95%。优势种也主要以蓝藻(水华鱼腥藻Anabaena flos-aquae、柔软腔球藻Coelosphaerium kuetzingiarum、微囊藻Microcystis spp.、颤藻Oscillatoria spp.和席藻Phorimidium spp.)构成,硅藻仅有2种(骨条藻Skeletonema spp.和颗粒直链藻Aulacoseira granulata)。口门内盐度均<0.5,群落基本以淡水类群为主,口门附近则以半咸水类群为主,海水类群主要位于口门外(盐度>13)。随着水温和营养盐水平的升高,8月浮游植物平均丰度(347.75×10⁴ 个/m³)明显高于6月(204.19×10⁴ 个/m³)。根据多维尺度和相似性分析,丰水期长江河口段浮游植物群落组成与分布存在显著(P<0.01)的时空差异。对比20世纪80年代以来的历史资料发现,长江口门内网采浮游植物丰度显著升高,且优势种也从硅藻(骨条藻、直链藻和圆筛藻)转变为蓝藻(颤藻、鱼腥藻和微囊藻)。     

重组人粒细胞集落刺激因子Cdna在哺乳动物细胞中高效表达的研究

利用PCR反应、DNA测序、基因重组等技术,构建了两个表达人粒细胞集落刺激因子cDNA的重组质粒pED－GCSF和pEF－GCSF,两质粒分别转染COS7细胞作瞬时表达,转染CHO－dhfr－细胞作稳定表达。结果两质粒在COS7细胞和CHO细胞均获得了表达,pED－GCSF转染COS7细胞48h、72h的表达量分别为5.2×10⁴pg/ml和2.3×10⁵pg/ml,pEF－GCSF转染COS7细胞后48h、72h的表达量分别为2.8×10⁵pg/ml和1.4×10⁵pg/ml。转染CHO－dhfr－细胞,随着加入的氨甲喋呤(MTX)浓度升高,CHO－dhfr+克隆数减少,但平均每个克隆的rhG－CSF表达量升高,在0.5μmol/L MTX下最高表达rhG－CSF细胞株的量是4.46μg/ml/3d。且表达的rhG－CSF注射小鼠腹腔可提高小鼠外周血白细胞的数量。     

模拟氮沉降对华西雨屏区撑绿 杂交竹凋落物分解的影响

从2008年1月至2010年1月,对华西雨屏区撑绿杂交竹(Bambusa pervariabilis × Dendrocala mopsi)人工林进行了模拟氮沉降试验,氮沉降水平分别为对照(CK, 0 g · m^-2 · a^-1)、低氮(5 g · m^-2 · a^-1)、中氮(15 g · hm^-2 · a^-1)和高氮(30 g · m^-2 · a^-1)。利用凋落袋法对杂交竹凋落叶和凋落箨进行原位分解试验,并在每月下旬定量地对各处理施氮(NH₄NO₃)。结果表明,自然状态下杂交竹凋落叶和凋落箨分解95%所需时间分别为2.9,1.5 a;氮沉降显著抑制了凋落叶的分解,在分解后期3个氮沉降处理凋落叶无灰分质量残留率均显著大于对照,氮沉降对凋落箨分解无明显影响;氮沉降显著抑制了凋落叶中木质素和纤维素的分解。杂交竹凋落叶在分解后期质量损失缓慢,处于较稳定状态,氮沉降的增加使得凋落物的残留率稳定在一个更高的水平,表明氮沉降的增加可能会使更多的凋落物残体和稳定有机质留存于杂交竹林土壤中,从而增加杂交竹林土壤碳贮存。     

酵母完整细胞快速高效转化法

通过研究影响转化效率的诸因素,最终找到一种快速、高效酵母完整细胞转化法。整个转化步骤能在1．5h内完成。在实验中发现：小牛胸腺DNA的加入,在加入DNA后随即加入PEG4000;将42℃热冲击时间从5min延长到25min;热冲击后直接将转化混合物涂布到选择性平板上能得到高效转化效率。所用四种类型质粒的转化效率如下：Yrp;3．5—7．2×10⁴(线性pcN60／BamHⅠ：1·6×10⁵);Yep: l·7—2.6×10⁴(线性YEpl3／BarnHⅠ：8×10⁴),Ycp：3．7×10⁴;YIp5／stuI：7．6×10³。用快速法检测的7株受体菌的转化能力都达到10⁴个转化子/μg DNA。     

搅拌式生物反应器中造血细胞的灌注培养

为了消除造血细胞静态培养中存在的浓度梯度和搅拌悬浮培养时换液引起的波动,为造血细胞体外扩增提供更理想的培养环境和操作方式,利用自主开发的造血细胞重力沉降截留系统结合有溶氧和pH控制的生物反应器进行了脐血造血细胞的灌注培养。两次灌注培养中总细胞分别扩增11.5和18.6倍,扩增倍数最大时,CFU-Mix分别扩增23.2倍和20.4倍、 CFU-GM扩增13.9倍和21.5倍、BFU-E 扩增8.0倍和6.9倍、CD34⁺细胞扩增17.1倍和15.4倍。培养到12d时,第一次实验由267×10⁶单个核细胞扩增得到1082×10⁶个总细胞,6.31×10⁶个CFU-GM,6.2×10⁶个CFU-Mix和23×10⁶个CD34⁺细胞;第二次实验由180×10⁶单个核细胞扩增得到1.080×10⁶个总细胞,4.65×10⁶个CFU-GM,11.0×10⁶个CFU-Mix和25.0×10⁶个CD34⁺细胞,这达到了临床规模,由于控制了较低的溶氧和稳定的培养环境,细胞中干/祖细胞含量显著高于方瓶。但灌注培养到后期细胞密度达到较高后,细胞生长受到抑制,这应该是由细胞密度过高本身所引起。搅拌式反应器中进行灌注培养有利于造血干/祖细胞的进一步扩增,培养得到的细胞中干/祖细胞含量较高,培养规模达到了临床要求,但过高的细胞密度将对造血细胞的生长产生抑制。     

连续氮添加14年对温带典型草原土壤碳氮组分及物理结构的影响

全球氮沉降对生态系统造成了深远的影响,研究长时间氮沉降对草地生态系统土壤理化特征的影响有助于加强生态系统对氮沉降响应的长效机制的理解。通过连续14年长期施加N0（0 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N2（2 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N4（4 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N8（8 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N16（16 g N m^-2 a^-1）、N32（32 g N m^-2 a^-1）六种浓度尿素模拟氮沉降,并将土壤分成0-10、10-20和20-40 cm三个深度土层,研究温带草原生态系统土壤碳氮组分及物理结构对氮添加的响应及其相互关系,结果表明：（1）氮添加显著降低0-10 cm土壤酸碱度及土壤微生物量碳含量,N32相比N0分别下降了27.63%和58.40%（P<0.05）;各土层总有机碳和全氮含量对氮添加处理无显著响应,0-10 cm土层显著高于20-40 cm土层。（2）同一土层深度不同梯度氮添加处理显著增加土壤无机氮离子含量（P<0.05）,0-10 cm土层铵态氮含量N32相比N0增加了88.72%,20-40 cm土层硝态氮含量N32相比N0增加了19.55倍,土壤深度与氮添加对无机氮离子含量影响具有显著的交互效应。（3）同一土壤深度不同梯度氮添加处理土壤粒度分形维数及土壤团聚体差异不显著,相关分析表明土壤碳氮元素含量与土壤结构显著相关。土壤碳氮组分在适宜浓度氮添加的增加趋势说明氮添加在一定程度上可能促进土壤理化性质的改良,氮添加对土壤物理结构的影响还需要进一步的深入研究。     

洋山港潮间带大型底栖动物群落结构及多样性

2009-2010年在洋山港海域大洋山岛和圣姑礁进行四个季度潮间带大型底栖动物生态学研究。共采集到大型底栖动物61种,以广布种为主,部分为河口低盐种,其中软体动物22种,环节动物16种,节肢动物12种,苔藓动物5种,腔肠动物4种,星虫动物和棘皮动物各1种。优势种为短滨螺(Littorina brevicula)、多齿围沙蚕(Perinereis nuntia)、日本笠藤壶(Tetraclita japonica)、齿纹蜒螺(Nerita yoldii)和特异大权蟹(Macromedaeus distinguendus)。丰度和生物量在不同季节明显不同(P<0.05):丰度的最高值出现在春季,为(3204.9±837.84)个/m²,最低值出现在秋季,仅为(2213.2±731.27)个/m²;生物量的最高值则出现在夏季(2233.2±1493.42)g/m²,冬季最少,仅为(819.95±484.80) g/m²。大洋山岛和圣姑礁的丰度和生物量具有较大差异(P<0.05):年均丰度以大洋山断面较高,为(3090±742.74)个/m²,圣姑礁断面较低,为(2133±372.51)个/m²;而年均生物量则以圣姑礁断面较高,为(1711.1±1180.76) g/m²,大洋山断面较低,仅为(1028.5±627.61) g/m²。运用ABC曲线、等级聚类和MDS对大型底栖动物群落结构分析发现:大洋山潮带间大型底栖动物群落尚未受到干扰或干扰较轻,群落结构相对稳定;而圣姑礁断面的潮间带大型底栖动物群落受到了中度的干扰,群落结构稳定性下降。与15年前的研究相比,圣姑礁大型底栖动物的密度和生物量均有大幅度的降低,这与洋山港海域盐度的升高、生态环境变化和人为干扰强度增加等有关。     

模拟氮沉降对石栎和苦槠幼苗土壤呼吸的影响

用LI-8100开路式土壤碳通量测量系统测定模拟氮沉降4种不同处理水平(0、60、120\,240 kg · hm^-2 · a^-1)下石栎(Lithocarpus glabra)和苦槠(Castanopsis sclerophylla)幼苗的土壤呼吸速率及土壤温度、含水量对其土壤呼吸的影响。结果表明,氮沉降对土壤呼吸的影响根据施氮水平和幼苗的种类不同而异。低氮(60 kg · hm^-2 · a^-1)处理下石栎和苦槠的土壤呼吸速率平均值分别为(4.014±0.812)μmol · m^-2 · s^-1和(5.170±0.689)μmol · m^-2 · s^-1,比对照组(0 kg · hm^-2 · a^-1)土壤呼吸速率平均值(3.802±0.948)μmol · m^-2 · s^-1和(3.557±0.906)μmol · m^-2 · s^-1分别高5%和45%;两树种在中、高氮处理下均出现对土壤呼吸明显的抑制。其中石栎中、高氮实验组的土壤呼吸速率分别为(2.653±0.681)μmol · m^-2 · s^-1、(2.592±0.736)μmol · m^-2 · s^-1, 比对照组低27%和29%。苦槠中、高氮实验组的土壤呼吸速率为(3.563±0.402)μmol · m^-2 · s^-1、(3.466±0.994)μmol · m^-2 · s^-1, 比对照组低7%和8%;石栎在高氮(240 kg · hm^-2 · a^-1)处理水平下,其土壤呼吸速率同10cm土壤温度之间呈现显著的指数关系(R²=0.811,P=0.001),而在低、中氮实验均未发现有明显指数关系。苦槠各处理水平下其土壤呼吸与土壤温度之间均未发现有明显的指数关系;在土壤呼吸与5cm土壤含水量的相关性方面,仅有苦槠高氮实验组表现出明显的二次方程关系(R²=0.722),而其低、中氮实验组及石栎各实验组均未有明显的相关性;与单因素(温度、含水量)拟合它们与土壤呼吸速率的方程相比,多元回归分析得到的土壤呼吸速率同土壤温度和含水量之间的拟合方程在P=0.05水平上能更好地解释土壤呼吸的变化情况。石栎和苦槠在氮沉降处理下的土壤呼吸温度系数Q₁₀值分别为2.29、1.95、1.59和1.46、1.41、1.76,同对照组2.64和1.78相比,均有明显降低,且两者Q₁₀值的变化分别呈递减和先减小后增大的趋势,表明氮沉降是影响石栎和苦槠土壤CO₂通量的一个重要因素。     

短期寒潮天气对福州市绿地土壤呼吸及组分的影响

城市生态系统土壤呼吸在区域乃至国家尺度上的碳预算与碳循环中都具有重要地位,研究突发天气下城市生态系统土壤呼吸及其组分的变化对准确估算城市土壤碳排放具有重要意义。以亚热带城市草坪(沟叶结缕草,Zoysia matrell)和片林(南洋杉,Araucaria heterophylla)为研究对象,于2011年2月10日至19日通过监测一次突发短期降温天气前后土壤呼吸及其组分(微生物呼吸和根系呼吸)的动态变化,探讨了短期低温天气对城市生态系统土壤呼吸的影响。结果表明:在突发寒潮天气发生后,片林和草坪的土壤温度均显著降低,降温幅度最大分别达7.4℃和5.5℃,二者的土壤呼吸均因降温而骤降,降低比例分别高达79.4%和71.2%。但土壤呼吸及组分也随期间的降水事件而呈现出明显波动。整个观测期间片林土壤呼吸、微生物呼吸与根系呼吸的日均值分别2.54 μmol · m^-2 · s^-1、0.76 μmol · m^-2 · s^-1和1.78 μmol · m^-2 · s^-1,而在草坪中三者分别为1.07 μmol · m^-2 ·s^-1、0.83 μmol · m^-2 · s^-1和0.24 μmol · m^-2 · s^-1。土壤温度是控制降温过程中城市绿地土壤呼吸及其组分的关键限制因子并与之呈指数正相关关系,但由于冠层结构简单、耐寒性较低,草坪对温度变化的响应更加敏感。在短期降温中草坪土壤呼吸、微生物呼吸与根系呼吸的Q₁₀值明显提高,分别高达4.18、8.17和18.17。受降水与降温的共同影响,草坪与片林各土壤呼吸类型同时受土壤温度、土壤含水量与降水量的控制,由这3个因子构成的多元回归模型可以较好地拟合各呼吸类型的日均值变化(R²>0.55)。     

22 Nutrient use efficiency and coastal productivity: comparative perspectives on ecosystem structure and mechanisms of control

Net primary production in marine ecosystems ultimately reflects the inputs of nutrients and the efficiency with which nutrients are acquired and used by phytoplankton in growth. In contrast to our understanding of the linkages between nutrient loading and production, the influence of nutrient use efficiency (NUE) on cross-system variations in coastal productivity remains unclear. Nutrient use efficiency at the ecosystem scale is the product of the per capita efficiency of nutrient use in phytoplankton growth and the efficiency with which phytoplankton communities are able to assimilate limiting nutrient(s). We measured the relative dominance of ecosystem N pools by phytoplankton biomass as an index of NUE across 56 inner-shelf sites. These sites were distributed across a strong geographic range of upwelling intensity and productivity along the coasts of Oregon, California and New Zealand. We also compiled an extensive dataset of published NUE values in coastal and oceanic sites in order to assess cross-system patterns and differences in NUE. Our results indicate that exceptional rates of productivity in inner-shelf upwelling systems arise as a consequence of near dominance of ecosystem N pools by phytoplankton biomass. Elevated rates of NUE nevertheless appear to be a transient phenomenon in marine systems. Cross-shelf transects across upwelling fronts off the Oregon coast reveal a temporal pattern of intense phytoplankton blooms and decline that reflects the eventual dominance of ecosystems N pools by detrital and dissolved organic N pools. Our findings suggest that NUE may play a central role in governing the productivity of marine ecosystems.     

全球气候变化下的海洋浮游植物多样性

理解全球气候变化对地球生态系统的影响是全世界广泛关注的问题, 而相比于陆地生态系统, 海洋生态系统对全球气候变化更为敏感。全球气候变化对海洋的影响主要表现在海洋暖化、海洋酸化、大洋环流系统的改变、海平面上升、紫外线辐射增强等方面。浮游植物是海洋生态系统最重要的初级生产者, 同时对海洋碳循环起到举足轻重的作用, 其对全球气候变化的响应主要体现在物种分布、初级生产力、群落演替、生物气候学等方面。具体表现在以下方面: 暖水种的分布范围在扩大, 冷水种分布范围在缩小; 浮游植物全球初级生产力降低; 浮游植物群落会向细胞体积更小的物种占优势的方向转变; 浮游植物水华发生的时间提前、强度增强; 一些有害物种水华的发生频率也会增加; 海洋表层海水的酸化会影响浮游植物特别是钙化类群的生长和群落多样性; 紫外辐射增强对浮游植物的生长起到抑制作用; 厄尔尼诺、拉尼娜、降水量的增加通常抑制浮游植物生长。浮游植物生长和分布的变化会体现在多样性的各个层面上。对于浮游植物在全球变化各种驱动因子下的生理生态学和长周期变动观测等是今后研究的重要方向, 也将为理解全球变化下的浮游植物-多样性-生态系统响应与反馈机制提供基本信息。     

Structure and functioning of two pelagic communities in the North Chilean Patagonian coastal system

The size composition of primary producers is important for how energy is channeled through a food web and on to the higher trophic levels and eventually to fisheries. To evaluate this, we studied the productive patterns for large (micro) versus small (nano) phytoplankton in two south marine Patagonian ecosystems: The Inner Sea of Chiloe—ISCh and, Moraleda Channel—MCh. We built Ecopath models (EwE), and evaluated the hypothesis that the overall primary productivity—rather than the ratio of large to small primary producers—constitutes an adequate proxy for predicting the amount of secondary and tertiary production and biomass (up to the fisheries). The EwE model included four small-scale fisheries and 36 functional groups. The functioning of both ecosystems was similar but the ecosystem parameters (biomass, energy transfer efficiencies from primary producers, secondary, and tertiary production) were twice as much in the basin with more microphytoplankton biomass. Overall, the hypothesis was rejected, albeit it was possible to highlight the importance of the quality and size spectrum of plankton on the structure of marine ecosystem, and to demonstrate the key role of the microbial loop over traditional food web in the functioning of the carbon biological pump in Patagonia ecosystems.     

Effects of climate‐driven primary production change on marine food webs: implications for fisheries and conservation

Climate change is altering the rate and distribution of primary production in the world's oceans. Primary production is critical to maintaining biodiversity and supporting fishery catches, but predicting the response of populations to primary production change is complicated by predation and competition interactions. We simulated the effects of change in primary production on diverse marine ecosystems across a wide latitudinal range in Australia using the marine food web model Ecosim. We link models of primary production of lower trophic levels (phytoplankton and benthic producers) under climate change with Ecosim to predict changes in fishery catch, fishery value, biomass of animals of conservation interest, and indicators of community composition. Under a plausible climate change scenario, primary production will increase around Australia and generally this benefits fisheries catch and value and leads to increased biomass of threatened marine animals such as turtles and sharks. However, community composition is not strongly affected. Sensitivity analyses indicate overall positive linear responses of functional groups to primary production change. Responses are robust to the ecosystem type and the complexity of the model used. However, model formulations with more complex predation and competition interactions can reverse the expected responses for some species, resulting in catch declines for some fished species and localized declines of turtle and marine mammal populations under primary productivity increases. We conclude that climate‐driven primary production change needs to be considered by marine ecosystem managers and more specifically, that production increases can simultaneously benefit fisheries and conservation. Greater focus on incorporating predation and competition interactions into models will significantly improve the ability to identify species and industries most at risk from climate change.     

Abrupt declines in marine phytoplankton production driven by warming and biodiversity loss in a microcosm experiment

Rising sea surface temperatures are expected to lead to the loss of phytoplankton biodiversity. However, we currently understand very little about the interactions between warming, loss of phytoplankton diversity and its impact on the oceans' primary production. We experimentally manipulated the species richness of marine phytoplankton communities under a range of warming scenarios, and found that ecosystem production declined more abruptly with species loss in communities exposed to higher temperatures. Species contributing positively to ecosystem production in the warmed treatments were those that had the highest optimal temperatures for photosynthesis, implying that the synergistic impacts of warming and biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning were mediated by thermal trait variability. As species were lost from the communities, the probability of taxa remaining that could tolerate warming diminished, resulting in abrupt declines in ecosystem production. Our results highlight the potential for synergistic effects of warming and biodiversity loss on marine primary production.     

海洋微型浮游动物对浮游植物和初级生产力的摄食压力

综述了国际上研究微型浮游动物对浮游植物和初级生产力摄食的方法,并重点介绍了稀释法的理论和在实践中遇到的问题。各种方法的微型浮游动物对浮游植物和初级生产力摄食压力的估计表明,微型浮游动物在海洋生态系统中的扮演重要角色。     

Timing of blooms,algal food quality and Calanus glacialis reproduction and growth in a changing Arctic

The Arctic bloom consists of two distinct categories of primary producers, ice algae growing within and on the underside of the sea ice, and phytoplankton growing in open waters. Long chain omega‐3 fatty acids, a subgroup of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) produced exclusively by these algae, are essential to all marine organisms for successful reproduction, growth, and development. During an extensive field study in the Arctic shelf seas, we followed the seasonal biomass development of ice algae and phytoplankton and their food quality in terms of their relative PUFA content. The first PUFA‐peak occurred in late April during solid ice cover at the onset of the ice algal bloom, and the second PUFA‐peak occurred in early July just after the ice break‐up at the onset of the phytoplankton bloom. The reproduction and growth of the key Arctic grazer Calanus glacialis perfectly coincided with these two bloom events. Females of C. glacialis utilized the high‐quality ice algal bloom to fuel early maturation and reproduction, whereas the resulting offspring had access to ample high‐quality food during the phytoplankton bloom 2 months later. Reduction in sea ice thickness and coverage area will alter the current primary production regime due to earlier ice break‐up and onset of the phytoplankton bloom. A potential mismatch between the two primary production peaks of high‐quality food and the reproductive cycle of key Arctic grazers may have negative consequences for the entire lipid‐driven Arctic marine ecosystem.     

Invariant scaling of phytoplankton abundance and cell size in contrasting marine environments

Scaling relationships such as the variation of population abundance with body size provide links between individual organisms and ecosystem functioning. Previous work, in marine pelagic ecosystems, has focused on the relationship between total phytoplankton abundance and the assemblage mean cell size. However, the relationship between specific population abundance and cell size in marine phytoplankton has received little attention. Here, we show that cell size accounts for a significant amount of variability in the population abundance of phytoplankton species across a cell volume range spanning seven orders of magnitude. The interspecific scaling of population abundance and cell size takes a power exponent near −3/4. Unexpectedly, despite the constraints imposed on large phytoplankton by limited resource acquisition, the size scaling exponent does not differ between contrasting marine environments such as coastal and subtropical regions. These findings highlight the adaptive abilities of individual species to cope with different environmental conditions and suggest that a general rule such as the 'energetic equivalence' constrains the abundance of phytoplankton populations in marine pelagic ecosystems.     

How Diffusivity,Thermocline and Incident Light Intensity Modulate the Dynamics of Deep Chlorophyll Maximum in Tyrrhenian Sea

During the last few years theoretical works have shed new light and proposed new hypotheses on the mechanisms which regulate the spatio-temporal behaviour of phytoplankton communities in marine pelagic ecosystems. Despite this, relevant physical and biological issues, such as effects of the time-dependent mixing in the upper layer, competition between groups, and dynamics of non-stationary deep chlorophyll maxima, are still open questions. In this work, we analyze the spatio-temporal behaviour of five phytoplankton populations in a real marine ecosystem by using a one-dimensional reaction-diffusion-taxis model. The study is performed, taking into account the seasonal variations of environmental variables, such as light intensity, thickness of upper mixed layer and profiles of vertical turbulent diffusivity, obtained starting from experimental findings. Theoretical distributions of phytoplankton cell concentration was converted in chlorophyll concentration, and compared with the experimental profiles measured in a site of the Tyrrhenian Sea at four different times (seasons) of the year, during four different oceanographic cruises. As a result we find a good agreement between theoretical and experimental distributions of chlorophyll concentration. In particular, theoretical results reveal that the seasonal changes of environmental variables play a key role in the phytoplankton distribution and determine the properties of the deep chlorophyll maximum. This study could be extended to other marine ecosystems to predict future changes in the phytoplankton biomass due to global warming, in view of devising strategies to prevent the decline of the primary production and the consequent decrease of fish species.     

Effect of (a)synchronous light fluctuation on diversity,functional and structural stability of a marine phytoplankton metacommunity

Disentangling the mechanisms that maintain the stability of communities and ecosystem properties has become a major research focus in ecology in the face of anthropogenic environmental change. Dispersal plays a pivotal role in maintaining diversity in spatially subdivided communities, but only a few experiments have simultaneously investigated how dispersal and environmental fluctuation affect community dynamics and ecosystem stability. We performed an experimental study using marine phytoplankton species as model organisms to test these mechanisms in a metacommunity context. We established three levels of dispersal and exposed the phytoplankton to fluctuating light levels, where fluctuations were either spatially asynchronous or synchronous across patches of the metacommunity. Dispersal had no effect on diversity and ecosystem function (biomass), while light fluctuations affected both evenness and community biomass. The temporal variability of community biomass was reduced by fluctuating light and temporal beta diversity was influenced interactively by dispersal and fluctuation, whereas spatial variability in community biomass and beta diversity were barely affected by treatments. Along the establishing gradient of species richness and dominance, community biomass increased but temporal variability of biomass decreased, thus highest stability was associated with species-rich but highly uneven communities and less influenced by compensatory dynamics. In conclusion, both specific traits (dominance) and diversity (richness) affected the stability of metacommunities under fluctuating conditions.