The stability of phyto-zooplanktonic networks varied with zooplanktonic sizes in Chinese coastal ecosystem
Zhang, Z.; Li, H.; Shen, W.; Feng, K.; Li, S.; Gu, S.; Zhou, Y.; Peng, X.; Du, X.; He, Q.; Wang, L.; Zhang, Z.; Wang, D.; Wang, Z.; Deng, Y. (2022). The stability of phyto-zooplanktonic networks varied with zooplanktonic sizes in Chinese coastal ecosystem. mSystems 7(5): 1-15. https://dx.doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00821-22
In: mSystems. American Society for Microbiology: Washington, DC. e-ISSN 2379-5077, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Zhang, Z.
- Li, H.
- Shen, W.
- Feng, K.
- Li, S.
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- Gu, S.
- Zhou, Y.
- Peng, X.
- Du, X.
- He, Q.
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- Wang, L.
- Zhang, Z.
- Wang, D.
- Wang, Z.
- Deng, Y.
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| Abstract |
The linkages between phytoplankton and zooplankton are crucial for the stability of complex food webs and the flow of energy within the marine ecosystem. Despite body size exhibiting multiple effects on the planktonic community assembly and the dispersal scale, its role in determining the stability of phyto-zooplanktonic co-occurrence patterns remains unclear. Here, we focused on more than 13,000 kilometers of the Chinese coast to study the diatom-dominated plankton ecosystem and to report the significant negative effects of zooplanktonic body sizes on the topological properties of phyto-zooplanktonic networks (PZNs) by using more than 500 species from 251 samples taken along the coastline. PZNs tended to be more complex and stable when phytoplankton associated with smaller zooplankton. Particularly, the subnetworks of dominant phytoplankton displayed differences with different zooplanktonic body sizes. The zooplankton with larger and smaller body sizes tended to interact with dinoflagellates and diatoms, respectively. Additionally, abiotic factors (i.e., water temperature, pH, salinity, and metal concentrations) displayed significant effects on PZNs via the shifting of zooplanktonic composition, and the zooplanktonic body sizes altered the network modules’ associations with different environmental factors. Our study elucidated the general relationship between zooplanktonic body sizes and the stability of PZNs, which provides new insights into marine food webs. |
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