Effects of variability among individuals on zooplankton population dynamics under environmental conditions
Authored by Rujia Bi, Hui Liu
Date Published: 2017
DOI: 10.3354/meps11967
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Abstract
Understanding mechanisms driving biological populations in response to
changes in environmental conditions could be insightful to predict
ecosystem trajectories under different climate scenarios, which largely
rely on modeling approaches. There is a growing consensus on variability
among individuals (individual variability, IV) playing an important role
in regulating dynamics and stability of populations. As a key component
of marine ecosystems, changes in zoo-plankton dynamics could have a
significant effect on ecosystem structures and fisheries production. We
developed an individual-based model of a dominant coastal copepod,
Acartia tonsa, to explore IV in sustaining a copepod population. We also
examined the effects on the population dynamics under different levels
of temperature, salinity, and food concentration. Abundance, egg
production, and population survival of the species were used as metrics
to measure population success. Our simulations suggested that the 3
environmental factors significantly influence the population dynamics of
A. tonsa, and IV has implications for population regulation and
resilience under unfavorable environmental conditions. Given that marine
ecosystems are at risk from environmental changes, knowing the extent of
IV in sustaining populations of key species could increase our ability
to forecast ecosystem dynamics in a changing environment.
Tags
Individual-based model
Population dynamics
phenotypic plasticity
Natural selection
evolutionary ecology
Climate-change
Gulf-of-mexico
Community structure
Egg-production
Life-history traits
Copepod acartia-tonsa
Northern gulf
Ocean acidification
Individual variability
Environmental conditions
Acartia tonsa