Phytoplankton functional composition determines limitation by nutrients and grazers across a lake productivity gradient

Schulhof, Marika A.; Waal, Dedmer B. Van de; Declerck, Steven; Shurin, Jonathan B.

doi:10.1002/ecs2.4008

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Field observations (Cavender‐Bares et al, 2001; Li, 2002), experiments (Schulhof et al, 2019, 2022), and meta‐analyses (Marañón et al, 2012) have shown that the small‐celled algae tend to dominate phytoplankton communities in nutrient‐poor waters due to high nutrient uptake and use efficiency (Litchman et al, 2010). In contrast, aquatic systems generally display a shift toward the dominance of large‐celled algae in nutrient‐rich waters due to increased resistance to grazers (Litchman et al, 2010) as well as a competitive advantage under a high and fluctuating nutrient supply (Litchman et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A size‐based perspective on the decoupling between compositional and functional changes in planktonic communities

Zhu

Zhang

et al. 2023

Ecosphere

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Recent studies have shown a decoupling in the way community composition and functions respond to environmental changes. A common pattern observed is that aggregated functions at the community level are more stable than community composition, which is likely the result of functional compensatory dynamics driven by interspecific differences in response to environmental change. However, the mechanisms by which these patterns emerge remain largely unexplored. Here we investigated in a mesocosm experiment for four weeks the compositional and functional responses of edible phytoplankton (<64 μm) and cladoceran zooplankton communities to climate warming (a constant increase of +3.5°C plus heat wave) and eutrophication (nutrient additions) from a size‐based perspective. Our results show that warming increases small‐sized taxa and decreases large‐sized taxa within both phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition. We found that such opposite responses of different‐sized taxa contributed to the stability of planktonic community functions and thereby resulted in a decoupling between compositional and functional changes. We also found that nutrient additions increased the abundance of all‐sized algal taxa, while phytoplankton community function remained stable. Nutrient additions did not alter the zooplankton community, neither compositionally nor functionally. Under the combined stress of warming and nutrient additions, the compositional and functional responses of planktonic communities were mainly driven by warming. In a broader perspective, our findings reveal a size‐dependent compensation mechanism and suggest that functional stability relies on compensatory effects among different‐sized taxa, and it is therefore important that communities host a large range of taxa differing in size to withstand an increasingly more variable environment in the future.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A size‐based perspective on the decoupling between compositional and functional changes in planktonic communities

Zhu

Zhang

et al. 2023

Ecosphere

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“…Within a favorable water temperature range, rising water temperatures correspond to higher rates of phytoplankton growth (Baker and Geider, 2021). Changes in nutrient availability can significantly impact phytoplankton community structure, with growth rates being related to nutrient absorption rates under suitable water temperature and pH conditions (Schulhof et al, 2019;Villanova et al, 2021;Du et al, 2023). Hydrodynamic conditions also play a role in shaping phytoplankton community, as many phytoplankton are prone to thrive under stagnant water conditions (Li et al, 2013).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Phytoplankton in headwater streams: spatiotemporal patterns and underlying mechanisms

Zeng,

Xing,

Huang

et al. 2023

Front. Plant Sci.

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Phytoplankton are key members of river ecosystems wherein they influence and regulate the health of the local environment. Headwater streams are subject to minimal human activity and serve as the sources of rivers, generally exhibiting minimal pollution and strong hydrodynamic forces. To date, the characteristics of phytoplankton communities in headwater streams have remained poorly understood. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by comparing phytoplankton communities in headwater streams with those in plain rivers. The results demonstrated that within similar watershed sizes, lower levels of spatiotemporal variability were observed with respect to phytoplankton community as compared to plain rivers. Lower nutrient levels and strong hydrodynamics contribute to phytoplankton growth limitation in these streams, thereby reducing the levels of spatiotemporal variation. However, these conditions additionally contribute to greater phytoplankton diversity and consequent succession towards Cyanophyta. Overall, these results provide new insights into the dynamics of headwater stream ecosystems and support efforts for their ecological conservation.

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Interactive Effects of Nutrients and Salinity on Phytoplankton in Subtropical Plateau Lakes of Contrasting Water Depths

Wang

Jiang

et al. 2022

Water

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Eutrophication and salinization are serious global environmental problems in freshwater ecosystems, occasionally acting jointly to exert harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems. To elucidate the interactive effects of nutrients and salinity on phytoplankton assemblages, we conducted a four-season study during 2020–2021 of eight lakes from Yunnan Plateau (Southwest China) with a wide range of conductivities (Cond, reflecting degree of salinization), eutrophic states, and water depths and used General Additive Modeling (GAM) of the data. We found that: (1) species number (SN), density (DPhyt), and biomass (BPhyt) of phytoplankton showed stronger seasonal dynamics in shallow lakes than in deep lakes, all being, as expected, higher in the warm season; (2) annual and summer data revealed highly significant positive relationships between SN, DPhyt, and BPhyt with total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), which became weaker at high TP occurring when the N:P ratio was low, indicating N limitation; (3) SN, DPhyt, and BPhyt showed a unimodal relationship with salinity, peaking at 400–1000 μS/cm (Cond); (4) the two dominant taxa (cyanobacteria and chlorophyta) showed different patterns, with chlorophyta generally dominating at low TN and cyanobacteria at high TN and Cond, suggesting the synergistic effect of nitrogen and Cond on cyanobacterial dominance.

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Phytoplankton functional composition determines limitation by nutrients and grazers across a lake productivity gradient

Cited by 3 publications

References 53 publications

A size‐based perspective on the decoupling between compositional and functional changes in planktonic communities

A size‐based perspective on the decoupling between compositional and functional changes in planktonic communities

Phytoplankton in headwater streams: spatiotemporal patterns and underlying mechanisms

Interactive Effects of Nutrients and Salinity on Phytoplankton in Subtropical Plateau Lakes of Contrasting Water Depths

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