Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Ecological Stoichiometry in Plankton Communities.
Am Nat
; 192(1): E1-E20, 2018 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29897797
ABSTRACT
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limit primary production in many aquatic ecosystems, with major implications for ecological interactions in plankton communities. Yet it remains unclear how evolution may affect the Nâ¶P stoichiometry of phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions. Here, we address this issue by analyzing an eco-evolutionary model of phytoplankton-zooplankton interactions with explicit nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics. In our model, investment of phytoplankton in nitrogen versus phosphorus uptake is an evolving trait, and zooplankton display selectivity for phytoplankton with Nâ¶P ratios matching their nutritional requirements. We use this model to explore implications of the contrasting Nâ¶P requirements of copepods versus cladocerans. The model predicts that selective zooplankton strongly affect the Nâ¶P ratio of phytoplankton, resulting in deviations from their optimum Nâ¶P ratio. Specifically, selective grazing by nitrogen-demanding copepods favors dominance of phytoplankton with low Nâ¶P ratios, whereas phosphorus-demanding cladocerans favor dominance of phytoplankton with high Nâ¶P ratios. Interestingly, selective grazing by nutritionally balanced zooplankton leads to the occurrence of alternative stable states, where phytoplankton may evolve either low, optimum, or high Nâ¶P ratios, depending on the initial conditions. These results offer a new perspective on commonly observed differences in Nâ¶P stoichiometry between plankton of freshwater and those of marine ecosystems and indicate that selective grazing by zooplankton can have a major impact on the stoichiometric composition of phytoplankton.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Fósforo
/
Fitoplâncton
/
Zooplâncton
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Cadeia Alimentar
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Modelos Biológicos
/
Nitrogênio
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article