Functional traits explain phytoplankton community structure and seasonal dynamics in a marine ecosystem

A fundamental yet elusive goal of ecology is to predict the structure of communities from the environmental conditions they experience. Trait‐based approaches to terrestrial plant communities have shown that functional traits can help reveal the mechanisms underlying community assembly, but such approaches have not been tested on the microbes that dominate ecosystem processes in the ocean. Here, we test whether functional traits can explain community responses to seasonal environmental fluctuation, using a time series of the phytoplankton of the English Channel. We show that interspecific variation in response to major limiting resources, light and nitrate, can be well‐predicted by lab‐measured traits characterising light utilisation, nitrate utilisation and maximum growth rate. As these relationships were predicted a priori, using independently measured traits, our results show that functional traits provide a strong mechanistic foundation for understanding the structure and dynamics of ecological communities.     

Seasonality,species richness and poor dispersion mediate intraspecific trait variability in stonefly community responses along an elevational gradient

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Allometric scaling and morphological variation in sinking rate of phytoplankton

Since the first decades of the last century, several hypotheses have been proposed on the role of phytoplankton morphology in maintaining a favorable position in the water column. Here, by an extensive review of literature on sinking rate and cell volume, we firstly attempted to explore the dependency of sinking rate on morphological traits using the allometric scaling approach. We found that sinking rate tends to increase with increasing cell volume showing the allometric scaling exponent of 0.43, which is significantly different than the Stokes’ law exponent of 0.66. The violation of the 2/3 power rule clearly indicates that cell shape changes as size increases. Both size and shape affect how phytoplankton sinking drives nutrient acquisition and losses to sinking. Interestingly, from an evolutionary perspective, simple and complex cylindrical shapes can get much larger than spherical and spheroidal shapes and sink at similar rates, but simple and complex cylindrical shapes cannot get small enough to sink slower than small spherical and spheroidal shapes. Cell shape complexity is a morphological attribute resulting from the combination of two or more simple geometric shapes. While the effect of size on sinking rate is well documented, this study deepens the knowledge on how cell shape or geometry affect sinking rates that still needs further consideration.     

Seasonal variations in phytoplankton size structure in Lake Cromwell (Laurentian Shield), Quebec

Seasonal variation in phytoplankton size classes was studied over the period of a year in a small, mesotrophic, brown-water lake. Throughout the sampling period, species from 2–16 μm (GALD) dominated the phytoplankten community. Small phytoplankters (2–8 μm) were predominant in winter and early spring populations while algae of 8–16 μm became important in summer (phytoplankton < 2 μm was not counted). Principal coordinate analysis resulted in a cyclic pattern of dates in the reduced space, winter and early spring samples being well separated from the other dates. In multiple linear regressions between environmental parameters and size classes, temperature was always the most important variable.     

Seasonal change of seston size distribution and phytoplankton composition in bivalve pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii culture farm

Seasonal changes of seston were monitored in the pearl cultivation area of Uchiumi Bay, Ehime Prefecture, Japan where the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii is cultivated. The concentrations of chlorophyll a and particulate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus were measured and the community structure of the phytoplankton investigated between June 1997 and February 1999. The seston was divided into pico- (<2 m), nano- (2–20 m) and large (>20 m) size fractions. The dominant size fraction during the study period, <2 m (38.1–51.4%), is consumed by oyster larvae but is too small for the adult pearl oyster. During the summers of 1997 and 1998 Nitzschia spp. became dominant but is indigestible for the oyster which was thus subjected to food limitation. We suggest monitoring the composition of seston and phytoplankton >2 m for evaluation of the food environment of the pearl oyster.     

基于环境DNA技术的辽东湾真核微藻群落结构特征

以18S rDNA V4区作为目标基因,利用自行设计的真核微藻鉴定引物V4（F/R）,结合高通量测序技术,对辽东湾2014年四季海水中真核微藻多样性进行了检测。结果发现,辽东湾海域注释到种的真核微藻有136种,41%的种类在中国海域未见报道,其中自养型占60%、异养型占10%、混合营养型占30%。研究对丰富中国海域微藻名录和外来海洋微藻背景数据库具有较大意义。     

Metabolic traits predict the effects of warming on phytoplankton competition

Understanding how changes in temperature affect interspecific competition is critical for predicting changes in ecological communities with global warming. Here, we develop a theoretical model that links interspecific differences in the temperature dependence of resource acquisition and growth to the outcome of pairwise competition in phytoplankton. We parameterised our model with these metabolic traits derived from six species of freshwater phytoplankton and tested its ability to predict the outcome of competition in all pairwise combinations of the species in a factorial experiment, manipulating temperature and nutrient availability. The model correctly predicted the outcome of competition in 72% of the pairwise experiments, with competitive advantage determined by difference in thermal sensitivity of growth rates of the two species. These results demonstrate that metabolic traits play a key role in determining how changes in temperature influence interspecific competition and lay the foundation for mechanistically predicting the effects of warming in complex, multi‐species communities.     

Plankton community structure and size spectra in the Georgian Bay and North Channel ecosystems

Patterns in the size distribution and taxonomic composition of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities for 1974 in Georgian Bay and the North Channel are described. The Diatomeae predominate the phytoplankton in both areas. Copepods, particularly Calanoida, comprise the greatest fraction of the zooplankton biomass. Normalized plankton biomass spectra for both ecosystems are typical of those found in Lake Superior and offshore Lake Huron. The plankton communities of Georgian Bay and the North Channel are thus similar to the most oligotrophic of the Laurentian Great Lakes.     

Taxonomic size structure consistency of the English Channel phytoplankton

Here we report the worldwide first results on long-term variability of marine phytoplankton taxonomic size structure based on traditional taxonomic size spectra (TTSS). The Plymouth Marine Laboratory monitoring database for station L4 was used to build annual TTSS patterns (1992-2005) and estimate their similarity with the help of hierarchical cluster analysis. Almost identical TTSS patterns were observed each year. While the height of the main peaks was slightly variable, their horizontal positions were unchanged. Whereas the above patterns resembled the phytoplankton TTSS established for the subtropical Lake Kinneret, the L4 spectrum size range was much broader and the distance between the main peaks approximately two times greater. The similarity level (Pearson r = 0.872-0.992) in TTSS pairs for station L4 was comparable to the estimates established at several lakes, while being much higher than in the inter-ecosystem (L4 and Kinneret) pairs (r = 0.317-0.578). Thus, the phenomenon of long-term consistency of phytoplankton taxonomic size structure, found previously at freshwater ecosystems, for the first time is confirmed for marine phytoplankton, which speaks in favor of much higher generality of this important structural property of aquatic communities. The TTSS multi-annual consistency can be helpful for long-term monitoring, environment protection and forecasting. The evident and permanent difference in the peak positions between ecosystems opens a way for additional analyses which can be helpful for the development of theoretical models. A set of plausible mechanisms, capable to produce and support the empirically obtained distribution patterns, is discussed.     

松花江哈尔滨段浮游植物群落格局及其与环境因子的相关性

松花江是黑龙江在我国境内的最大支流,流经吉林、黑龙江两省。松花江哈尔滨段是哈尔滨市工农业生产与生活用水的重要水资源,近年来由于人类活动的频繁影响,水体质量有所下降。鉴于此,于2018年春、夏、秋三季(4月、8月和10月),在松花江哈尔滨段设置14个采样点,对电导率、总氮和总磷等理化指标进行测定,同时对其浮游植物群落结构及环境因子相关性进行研究。利用群落相似性分析(ANOSIM)探讨浮游植物群落时空分布差异;通过SIMPER分析筛选出影响群落时空格局的关键物种。基于优势种和10项理化指标的冗余分析(RDA)揭示了浮游植物群落生态分布特征并对关键影响因子进行识别。研究结果表明,调查期间共鉴定浮游植物136种,其中优势种15种,群落结构主要以硅藻门和绿藻门的物种构成。松花江哈尔滨段浮游植物群落结构与过去10余年间相比较为稳定。ANOSIM和SIMPER分析表明,季节变化和人为活动干扰对浮游植物群落时空格局具有一定驱动作用,蓝藻门物种的空间分布活动干扰影响明显。RDA分析表明,浮游植物分布特征与水环境时空异质性关系密切,驱动松花江哈尔滨段浮游植物群落时空分布的主要水环境因子为电导率、总磷、浊度和pH。     

Quantifying heterogeneous responses of fish community size structure using novel combined statistical techniques

To understand changes in ecosystems, the appropriate scale at which to study them must be determined. Large marine ecosystems (LMEs) cover thousands of square kilometres and are a useful classification scheme for ecosystem monitoring and assessment. However, averaging across LMEs may obscure intricate dynamics within. The purpose of this study is to mathematically determine local and regional patterns of ecological change within an LME using empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). After using EOFs to define regions with distinct patterns of change, a statistical model originating from control theory is applied (Nonlinear AutoRegressive Moving Average with eXogenous input – NARMAX) to assess potential drivers of change within these regions. We have selected spatial data sets (0.5° latitude × 1°longitude) of fish abundance from North Sea fisheries research surveys (spanning 1980–2008) as well as of temperature, oxygen, net primary production and a fishing pressure proxy, to which we apply the EOF and NARMAX methods. Two regions showed significant changes since 1980: the central North Sea displayed a decrease in community size structure which the NARMAX model suggested was linked to changes in fishing; and the Norwegian trench region displayed an increase in community size structure which, as indicated by NARMAX results, was primarily linked to changes in sea‐bottom temperature. These regions were compared to an area of no change along the eastern Scottish coast where the model determined the community size structure was most strongly associated to net primary production. This study highlights the multifaceted effects of environmental change and fishing pressures in different regions of the North Sea. Furthermore, by highlighting this spatial heterogeneity in community size structure change, important local spatial dynamics are often overlooked when the North Sea is considered as a broad‐scale, homogeneous ecosystem (as normally is the case within the political Marine Strategy Framework Directive).     

A global meta‐analysis of the relative extent of intraspecific trait variation in plant communities

Recent studies have shown that accounting for intraspecific trait variation (ITV) may better address major questions in community ecology. However, a general picture of the relative extent of ITV compared to interspecific trait variation in plant communities is still missing. Here, we conducted a meta‐analysis of the relative extent of ITV within and among plant communities worldwide, using a data set encompassing 629 communities (plots) and 36 functional traits. Overall, ITV accounted for 25% of the total trait variation within communities and 32% of the total trait variation among communities on average. The relative extent of ITV tended to be greater for whole‐plant (e.g. plant height) vs. organ‐level traits and for leaf chemical (e.g. leaf N and P concentration) vs. leaf morphological (e.g. leaf area and thickness) traits. The relative amount of ITV decreased with increasing species richness and spatial extent, but did not vary with plant growth form or climate. These results highlight global patterns in the relative importance of ITV in plant communities, providing practical guidelines for when researchers should include ITV in trait‐based community and ecosystem studies.     

Group size structure affects patterns of aggression in larval salamanders

The potential importance of intrapopulation phenotypic variabilityto population-level ecology has been demonstrated in both theoreticaland field studies. One way to connect individuals to the dynamicsof populations they compose is to study behavioral response(an individual-level characteristic) to variability in conspecificphenotypes (a population-level characteristic). We examinedeffects of variation in size of individuals on patterns of aggressionin larval tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum) byobserving aggressive behavior in groups of three larvae in alaboratory experment. We assessed effects of variability insize of conspecifics independently of mean larval size and larvaldensity Overall levels of aggression were generally higher ingroups in which all individuals were similprly sized than ingroups of variably sized individuals. Medium-sized individualsexhibited significantly higher levels of aggression and wereattacked significantly more often when in groups consistingonly of similarly sized larvae as compared to groups composedof larvae representing a wider range of body sizes. Activitylevels of larvae were also generally lower when all individualswere the same size, resulting in a negative correlation betweenactivity and levels of iggressititi. These results suggest thatgioups of similarly sized individuals experience a more aggressivesocial environment than groups of variably sized individuals,and they suggest a promising avenue of research for connectingindividual behavioral and physiological responses to size structure(phenotypic variability) with population dynamics.     

The predictability of a lake phytoplankton community,over time‐scales of hours to years

Forecasting changes to ecological communities is one of the central challenges in ecology. However, nonlinear dependencies, biotic interactions and data limitations have limited our ability to assess how predictable communities are. Here, we used a machine learning approach and environmental monitoring data (biological, physical and chemical) to assess the predictability of phytoplankton cell density in one lake across an unprecedented range of time‐scales. Communities were highly predictable over hours to months: model R² decreased from 0.89 at 4 hours to 0.74 at 1 month, and in a long‐term dataset lacking fine spatial resolution, from 0.46 at 1 month to 0.32 at 10 years. When cyanobacterial and eukaryotic algal cell densities were examined separately, model‐inferred environmental growth dependencies matched laboratory studies, and suggested novel trade‐offs governing their competition. High‐frequency monitoring and machine learning can set prediction targets for process‐based models and help elucidate the mechanisms underlying ecological dynamics.     

熊河水库浮游植物群落结构的周年变化

自2007年5月至2008年4月对湖北省枣阳市熊河水库的浮游植物群落进行调查和分析.调查共发现浮游植物49属74种,绿藻在种类组成上占绝对优势,共40种,其次为蓝藻,有15种,硅藻11种,甲藻3种,金藻和裸藻各2种,隐藻仅1种.蓝藻存在夏季(7月)高峰,优势种为卷曲鱼腥藻(Anabaena circinalis);硅藻、隐藻和甲藻均存在一个春季(3或4月)高峰,优势种分别为双头针杆藻(Synedra amphicephala)、羽纹脆杆藻(Fragilaria pinnata)、卵形隐藻(Cryptomonas ovata)和二角多甲藻(Peridinium bipes).Simpson多样性指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数和Margalef丰富度指数的年平均值分别是0.60、2.20、0.76和1.15.多样性指数和均匀度指数具有明显的季节变化规律,但无明显的空间分布规律.     

Biogeographical patterns in the Western Palearctic: the fasting-endurance hypothesis and the status of Murphy's rule

Aim In Europe, winter severity is positively correlated with longitude. We test how this climatic cline affects biogeographical patterns in Western Palearctic homeotherms. Location Eurasia, west of 60° longitude. Methods We test the effects of longitude on body size of carnivores, using cranial measurements of 2002 specimens belonging to 11 species. We test the effects of longitude on migration patterns of birds by comparing which populations of partial migrants are sedentary and which undergo winter migration. Results Carnivore body size does not vary consistently with longitude. Populations of partial migrants are more likely to be sedentary in western Europe and to migrate from eastern Europe than vice versa. Main conclusions Longitudinal patterns in climate exert a selective force on birds but do not affect carnivore size in a consistent, predictable manner. We find no support for the mechanism suggested to promote size change, namely the fasting‐endurance hypothesis.     

长江口碎波带浮游植物群落结构特征

2009年5月至2010年4月,按月对长江口碎波带浮游植物群落结构和环境因子进行调查。采集到浮游植物64属123种,主要由硅藻、绿藻和蓝藻组成。主要优势种为小环藻,常见种为硅藻门的直链藻（Melosira sp.）、中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）、膜状舟形藻（Navicula membranacea）,蓝藻门的小颤藻（Oscillatoria tenuis）、小席藻（Phormidium tenue）以及绿藻门的小球藻（Chlorella vulgaris）。浮游植物丰度在8.07×10^4cells/L～1.39×10^6cells/L之间,2009年8月最高,12月最低。浮游植物群落在7—8月份主要由蓝藻组成,其他月份主要由硅藻组成。统计分析细胞丰度与环境因子相关性显示：pH值与绿藻门和蓝藻门的细胞丰度显著负相关（P〈0.05,r〈0）,透明度与绿藻门和蓝藻门的细胞丰度显著正相关（P〈0.05,r〉0）;温度与硅藻门的细胞丰度显著负相关（P〈0.05,r〈0）。     

Isometric size-scaling of metabolic rate and the size abundance distribution of phytoplankton

The relationship between phytoplankton cell size and abundance has long been known to follow regular, predictable patterns in near steady-state ecosystems, but its origin has remained elusive. To explore the linkage between the size-scaling of metabolic rate and the size abundance distribution of natural phytoplankton communities, we determined simultaneously phytoplankton carbon fixation rates and cell abundance across a cell volume range of over six orders of magnitude in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. We found an approximately isometric relationship between carbon fixation rate and cell size (mean slope value: 1.16; range: 1.03-1.32), negating the idea that Kleiber's law is applicable to unicellular autotrophic protists. On the basis of the scaling of individual resource use with cell size, we predicted a reciprocal relationship between the size-scalings of phytoplankton metabolic rate and abundance. This prediction was confirmed by the observed slopes of the relationship between phytoplankton abundance and cell size, which have a mean value of -1.15 (range: -1.29 to -0.97), indicating that the size abundance distribution largely results from the size-scaling of metabolic rate. Our results imply that the total energy processed by carbon fixation is constant along the phytoplankton size spectrum in near steady-state marine ecosystems.     

Body size variation in aquatic consumers causes pervasive community effects,independent of mean body size

Intraspecific phenotypic variation is a significant component of biodiversity. Body size, for example, is variable and critical for structuring communities. We need to understand how homogenous and variably sized populations differ in their ecological responses or effects if we are to have a robust understanding of communities. We manipulated body size variation in consumer (tadpole) populations in mesocosms (both with and without predators), keeping mean size and density of these consumers constant. Size‐variable consumer populations exhibited stronger antipredator responses (reduced activity), which had a cascading effect of increasing the biomass of the consumer's resources. Predators foraged less when consumers were variable in size, and this may have mediated the differential effects of predators on the community composition of alternative prey (zooplankton). All trophic levels responded to differences in consumer size variation, demonstrating that intrapopulation phenotypic variability can significantly alter interspecific ecological interactions. Furthermore, we identify a key mechanism (size thresholds for predation risk) that may mediate impacts of size variation in natural communities. Together, our results suggest that phenotypic variability plays a significant role in structuring ecological communities.