Long-Term Phytoplankton Dynamics in a Complex Temporal Realm

Abstract

Faced with an environment of accelerated change, the long-term dynamics of biotic communities can be approached to build a consistent and causal picture of the communities’ life. We have undertaken a 25-year monthly-sampling study on the phytoplankton of a meso-oligotrophic lake, paying attention to controlling factors of overall biomass (TB) and taxonomical group biomass (TGBs). Long-term series included decreased trends of TB and TGBs, and multi-scale periodicity. A decadal TB periodicity emerged related to nitrogen concentration and Cryptophytes. Annual periodicities were mainly related to air and water temperature controlling the abundance of Chlorophytes or Dinoflagellates. Intra-annual cycles could arise from autogenic processes. The analysis by periods revealed relevant dynamics (for example, Diatom periodicities), hidden in the analysis of the complete series. These results allow us to establish that: i) two organizational levels of phytoplankton change differently in time scales from months to decades; ii) controlling factors (climate, water physics and chemistry) act at different time scales and on different TGBs, and iii) different combinations of the “taxonomical group-control factor-trend and periodicity” set throughout the studied time explain total biomass dynamics. A holistic approach (multiple complementary analyses) is necessary to disentangle the different actors and relationships that explain non-stationary long-term phytoplankton dynamics.

A CHEMTAX‐derived phytoplankton community structure during 12‐year observations in the Gulf of Naples (LTER‐MC)

“…The rapid increases in phytoplankton standing stocks are often followed by rapid declines due to resources depletion or herbivores grazing and other export processes consuming phytoplankton (e.g., Behrenfeld, 2010; Falkowski et al, 1998; Martinez et al, 2009; Siegel et al, 2005). For these reasons, both seasonal and short‐term environmental variations affect the community structure and trophodynamic in different ways, so that the information on phytoplankton dynamics in Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites can represent a tool for the evaluation of the ongoing climate changes (Acri, 2020; Alvarez‐Cobelas et al, 2019; Colijn, 1998; Vihervaara et al, 2013).…”