An adapting, trait-based ecosystem model for phytoplankton succession

Jorn Bruggeman1, Agostino Merico2, Ursula Gaedke3, Bas Kooijman1, Kai Wirtz2

1 Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2 GKSS Institute for Coastal Research, Germany, 3 Universität Potsdam, Germany

Site: Lake Constance

10 km

Site: the ecosystem

Site: observations

Trait-based model for succession

trait

abun

danc

e

trait

prob

abili

ty d

ensi

ty

Linking model and observations

bulk variablesabundances of

individual species

field/laboratory

bulk variablestrait mean and

variance

trait-based modeldatabase

parameter values of individual species

identify traits and trade-offs

reconstruct species abundances

species max growth rate (d-1) PO4 half sat (µM) length (µm)Dinobryon divergens 0.76 ? ?Dinobryon sociale ? ? ?Chrysochromulina parva ? ? 6Asterionella formosa 1.40 0.027 56Diatoma elongatum ? 0.020 ?Fragilaria crotonensis 1.16 0.028 75Synedra acus 2.52 0.025 150Melosira granulata ? ? 24Stephanodiscus hantzschii 1.18 ? 9Stephanodiscus binderanus ? ? 10Stephanodiscus rotula ? ? 26Ceratium hirundinella 0.21 ? ?Peridinium cinctum ? ? 27Chlamydomonas ? 0.007 8Pandorina morum ? ? ?Chlorella minutissima 4.23 ? ?Coelastrum ? ? ?Scenedesmus ? ? 9Pediastrum ? ? ?Monoraphidium ? ? ?Sphaerocystis schroeteri ? 0.025 ?Dictyosphaerium pulchellum ? ? ?Ulothrix subtilissima ? ? ?Closterium aciculare ? ? ?Staurastrum cingulum 0.82 ? ?Mougeotia thylespora 2.19 0.074 22

species max growth rate (d-1) PO4 half sat (µM) length (µm)Dinobryon divergens 0.76 0.016 29Dinobryon sociale 0.73 0.016 29Chrysochromulina parva 0.82 0.018 6Asterionella formosa 1.40 0.027 56Diatoma elongatum 1.29 0.020 62Fragilaria crotonensis 1.16 0.028 75Synedra acus 2.52 0.025 150Melosira granulata 1.25 0.082 24Stephanodiscus hantzschii 1.18 0.113 9Stephanodiscus binderanus 1.25 0.113 10Stephanodiscus rotula 1.25 0.113 26Ceratium hirundinella 0.21 0.025 6Peridinium cinctum 0.39 0.025 27Chlamydomonas 0.99 0.007 8Pandorina morum 0.98 0.140 8Chlorella minutissima 4.23 0.021 4Coelastrum 2.72 0.052 9Scenedesmus 2.88 0.053 9Pediastrum 1.02 0.025 8Monoraphidium 1.02 0.025 8Sphaerocystis schroeteri 1.02 0.025 8Dictyosphaerium pulchellum 0.90 0.025 6Ulothrix subtilissima 0.90 0.025 22Closterium aciculare 0.84 0.037 22Staurastrum cingulum 0.82 0.037 79Mougeotia thylespora 2.19 0.074 22

Phytoplankton database

Identifying traits and trade-offs

A single population

nutrient

effective length

--

biomass

maintenance

biomass

mortality

phytoplankton

zooplankton

Seasonal cycle: biomass

Seasonal cycle: trait distribution

Biomass:

Mean ± s.d.:

Size distribution:

Reconstructing individual species

Perspectives

• Multi-annual time series• Vertical space• > 1 traits