The ecophysiological relationship between the behavioural strategies and trophic nature of planktonic flagellates

浮游鞭毛虫是一类具有重要生态意义的可移动真核微生物，其特点是营养复杂，包括光合作用和有机养分的吸收，以及行为灵活性，细胞能够主动感知和响应环境中的资源。虽然人们普遍认为营养和行为策略相结合可以促进这些生物的生长和生存，但很少有研究调查这些因素之间的生态生理关系。利用综合的行为学、生理学和理论方法，这项建议旨在测试10个营养反差较大的物种之间的关系。在初步测量不同基本营养素组合的营养特征之后，将进行一系列行为实验，以量化对具有生态代表性的可替代资源(光、二氧化碳、溶解有机碳和细菌)梯度的任何反应的强度、可塑性和多样性。光合作用能力的平行生理分析、多因素生长实验和成本效益分析将确定行为偏好是否具有生理动机，并将阐明它们与营养自然的能量关系。最后，将考虑在这些浮游原生动物中最佳觅食的潜在存在，结果将被放在生态背景下，并将讨论对生存、竞争和分布的功能影响。

Planktonic flagellates are an ecologically important group of motile, eukaryotic microorganisms characterised by a trophic complexity, involving photosynthesis and the uptake of organic nutrients, and a behavioural flexibility, whereby cells are able to actively sense and respond to resources within the environment. Although it is commonly believed that trophic and behavioural strategies combine to facilitate the growth and survival of these organisms, few studies have investigated the ecophysiological relationship between these factors. Using an integrated behavioural, physiological and theoretical approach, this proposal aims to test this relationship in ten, trophically-contrasting species. Preliminary measurements of trophic characteristics in different combinations of essential nutrients will be followed by a series of behavioural experiments quantifying the strength, plasticity and diversity of any responses to ecologically representative gradients of substitutable resources (light, carbon dioxide, dissolved organic carbon and bacteria). Parallel physiological analyses of photosynthetic ability, multi-factorial growth experiments, and cost-benefit analyses will then determine if behavioural preferences are physiologically motivated and will clarify their energetic relationship with trophic nature. Finally, the potential existence of optimal foraging in these planktonic protists will be considered, results will be placed in an ecological context and the functional implications for survival, competition and distribution will be discussed.