Abstract

It is well-recognized in plankton ecology that phytoplankton development can lead to distinct peaks (i.e., blooms) during spring and summer. We used a 5-year (2007-2011) phytoplankton data set and utilized discontinuity analysis to assess resilience attributes of spring and summer blooms based on the cross-scale resilience model. Using the size structure (i.e., cross-scale structure as an indicator of resilience) in the sampled plankton data, we assessed whether spring and summer blooms differ substantially between but not within blooms; that is, whether they comprise alternative community regimes. Our exploratory study supported this expectation and more broadly resilience theory, which posits that ecological systems can manifest in and change between alternative regimes. The dynamics of regimes receives increased attention because rapid environmental change potentially irreversibly alters ecosystems. Model organisms are needed that allow revealing patterns and processes of various aspects of regime dynamics at tractable time scales. Our preliminary findings suggest that phytoplankton can be suitable models for assessing the intricacies of regimes and regime changes.

Keywords

Baltic Sea; resilience; cross-scale structure; phytoplankton; blooms; alternative regimes; discontinuities; community succession

Published in

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
2019, Volume: 7, article number: 139
Publisher: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA

SLU Authors

• Angeler, David

  • Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00139

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/100274