Plankton size diversity in UK coastal waters: observations and modelling

细胞大小被认为是浮游生物生态学的“主要特征”，因为它最好地概括了生物体提供关键生态系统功能的能力，如养分吸收、能量转移、碳输出和初级生产力[1，2，3]。单个浮游生物的大小通常很小，因此它们对生态系统的贡献是它们组合丰度的结果。在这里，我们的目标是了解浮游生物群落的大小多样性如何影响其整体生态系统功能，以及是什么推动了浮游生物群落结构的变化。这可以通过构建描述浮游生物群落动态的大小结构的生态系统模型，并利用英国沿海三个浮游生物观测站(普利茅斯、斯通海文和伊维湖)的长期时间序列数据来实现。浮游生物群落中大小结构的重要性得到了这样一个事实的支持，即平均细胞大小与海洋中浮游生物群落的一般行为有关。平均细胞大小较小的浮游植物群落通常出现在营养耗竭的水域[4]，由于较高营养水平的强烈放牧压力，能量保留在表层附近。相反，较大的浮游植物群落不会受到如此强烈的放牧压力，较大的细胞可以沉入深海[5]。通过这个过程，碳在一个被称为生物泵的过程中被从大气中输送出去。同样，一些现有的工作表明，浮游生物大小的多样性与浮游生物群落中的能量转移有关[6]，然而，这项工作的范围有限，因为它只是对相关变量的观察。通过采用机械建模的方法，我们可以更好地理解大小多样性如何以及为什么影响浮游生物群落中的能量转移、碳输出和初级生产。纳特。183.4(2014年)，[2]Litchman，E.&Klausmeier，A.Annu.埃科尔牧师。埃沃尔。系统39.1(2008)，[3]Litchman，E.et al.J.Platkton Res.35.3(2013)，[4]Acevedo-Trejos，E.等人。SCI。代表5.1(2015)，[5]Maranón，E.Ann。马西牧师。7.1(2015)，[6]Garcia-Comas，C.等人。程序皇家石油公司。B 283.1824(2016年)

Cell size is regarded as a 'master trait' in plankton ecology as it best summarises an organism's ability to provide key ecosystem functions, such as nutrient absorption, energy transfer, carbon export, and primary production rates [1,2,3]. Individual plankton organisms are generally microscopic in size, and so their ecosystem contributions are a result of their combined abundance. Here, we aim to understand how the size diversity of plankton communities affects their overall ecosystem functioning, and what drives changes in plankton community structure. This can be achieved through the construction of size-structured ecosystem models describing plankton community dynamics, and utilising long-term time series data from three plankton observatories around the UK coast (Plymouth, Stonehaven, and Loch Ewe).Of particular interest is the relationship plankton size diversity has with ecosystem functioning. The importance of size structure in a plankton community is supported by the fact that mean cell size is associated with the general behaviours of a plankton assemblage in the ocean. Phytoplankton communities with a small mean cell size often occur in nutrient-depleted waters [4], with energy retained near the surface due to intense grazing pressure from higher trophic levels. Conversely, communities of larger phytoplankton are not under such intense grazing pressure, and larger cells can sink to the deep ocean [5]. Through this process, carbon is transported away from the atmosphere in a process known as the biological pump. Similarly, some existing work has shown that plankton size diversity is associated energy transfer in plankton communities [6], however, the scope of this work is limited as it is simply an observation of correlated variables. By taking a mechanistic modelling approach we can better understand how and why size diversity impacts energy transfer, carbon export and primary production in plankton communities.[1] Kiorboe, T. & Hirst, A. Am. Nat. 183.4 (2014), [2] Litchman, E. & Klausmeier, A. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 39.1 (2008), [3] Litchman, E. et al. J. Plankton Res. 35.3 (2013), [4] Acevedo-Trejos, E. et al. Sci. Rep. 5.1 (2015), [5] Maranón, E. Ann. Rev. Mar. Sci. 7.1 (2015), [6] Garcia-Comas, C. et al. Proc. Royal Soc. B 283.1824 (2016)