Global biogeochemical impacts of phytoplankton: A trait-based perspective

• Autores: Litchman, Elena; de Tezanos Pinto, Paula; Edwards, Kyle F.; Klausmeier, Christopher A.; Kremer, Colin T.; Thomas, Mridul K.
• Año de publicación: 2015
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Aquatic Plant Ecology; Biogeochemical Cycles; Cell Size; Functional Groups; Global Change; Phytoplankton Community Structure; Trade-Offs
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Phytoplankton are key players in the global carbon cycle, contributing about half of global primary productivity. Within the phytoplankton, functional groups (characterized by distinct traits) have impacts on other major biogeochemical cycles, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and silica. Changes in phytoplankton community structure, resulting from the unique environmental sensitivities of these groups, may significantly alter elemental cycling from local to global scales. We review key traits that distinguish major phytoplankton functional groups, how they affect biogeochemistry and how the links between community structure and biogeochemical cycles are modelled. Finally, we explore how global environmental change will affect phytoplankton communities, from the traits of individual species to the relative abundance of functional groups, and how that, in turn, may alter biogeochemical cycles. Synthesis. We can increase our mechanistic understanding of the links between the community structure of primary producers and biogeochemistry by focusing on traits determining functional group responses to the environment (response traits) and their biogeochemical functions (effect traits). Identifying trade-offs including allometric and phylogenetic constraints among traits will help parameterize predictive biogeochemical models, enhancing our ability to anticipate the consequences of global change. We can increase our mechanistic understanding of the links between the community structure of primary producers and biogeochemistry by focusing on traits at different organisational levels that determine the responses to the environment (response traits) and their biogeochemical functions (effect traits). Identifying trade-offs including allometric and phylogenetic constraints among traits will help parameterize predictive biogeochemical models, enhancing our ability to anticipate the consequences of global change.
Fil: Litchman, Elena. Michigan State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: de Tezanos Pinto, Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: Edwards, Kyle F.. University of Hawaii at Manoa; Estados Unidos
Fil: Klausmeier, Christopher A.. Michigan State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Kremer, Colin T.. University of Princeton; Estados Unidos. University of Yale; Estados Unidos
Fil: Thomas, Mridul K.. Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Suiza