Climate change effects on phytoplankton depend on cell size and food web structure |
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Authors: | Toni Klauschies Barbara Bauer Nicole Aberle-Malzahn Ulrich Sommer Ursula Gaedke |
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Affiliation: | 1. Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469, Potsdam, Germany 2. Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany 3. Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research at Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Kurpromenade C-47, 27498, Helgoland, Germany
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Abstract: | We investigated the effects of warming on a natural phytoplankton community from the Baltic Sea, based on six mesocosm experiments conducted 2005–2009. We focused on differences in the dynamics of three phytoplankton size groups which are grazed to a variable extent by different zooplankton groups. While small-sized algae were mostly grazer-controlled, light and nutrient availability largely determined the growth of medium- and large-sized algae. Thus, the latter groups dominated at increased light levels. Warming increased mesozooplankton grazing on medium-sized algae, reducing their biomass. The biomass of small-sized algae was not affected by temperature, probably due to an interplay between indirect effects spreading through the food web. Thus, under the higher temperature and lower light levels anticipated for the next decades in the southern Baltic Sea, a higher share of smaller phytoplankton is expected. We conclude that considering the size structure of the phytoplankton community strongly improves the reliability of projections of climate change effects. |
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