Marine mixotrophy increases trophic transfer efficiency, mean organism size, and vertical carbon flux.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
; 113(11): 2958-63, 2016 Mar 15.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26831076
ABSTRACT
Mixotrophic plankton, which combine the uptake of inorganic resources and the ingestion of living prey, are ubiquitous in marine ecosystems, but their integrated biogeochemical impacts remain unclear. We address this issue by removing the strict distinction between phytoplankton and zooplankton from a global model of the marine plankton food web. This simplification allows the emergence of a realistic trophic network with increased fidelity to empirical estimates of plankton community structure and elemental stoichiometry, relative to a system in which autotrophy and heterotrophy are mutually exclusive. Mixotrophy enhances the transfer of biomass to larger sizes classes further up the food chain, leading to an approximately threefold increase in global mean organism size and an â¼35% increase in sinking carbon flux.
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Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Plâncton
/
Cadeia Alimentar
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Processos Autotróficos
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Processos Heterotróficos
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Ciclo do Carbono
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Modelos Biológicos
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2016
Tipo de documento:
Article