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The relationship between phytoplankton diversity and community function in a coastal lagoon

dc.contributor.authorDuarte, Pedro
dc.contributor.authorMacedo, M.F.
dc.contributor.authorCancela da Fonseca, Luís
dc.date.accessioned2007-09-17T13:24:21Zpor
dc.date.accessioned2011-10-06T14:40:35Z
dc.date.available2007-09-17T13:24:21Zpor
dc.date.available2011-10-06T14:40:35Z
dc.date.issued2006por
dc.description.abstractThe decrease of biodiversity related to the phenomena of global climate change is stimulating the scientific community towards a better understanding of the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In ecosystems where marked biodiversity changes occur at seasonal time scales, it is easier to relate them with ecosystem functioning. The objective of this work is to analyse the relationship between phytoplankton diversity and primary production in St. André coastal lagoon – SW Portugal. This lagoon is artificially opened to the sea every year in early spring, exhibiting a shift from a marine dominated to a low salinity ecosystem in winter. Data on salinity, temperature, nutrients, phytoplankton species composition, chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration and primary production were analysed over a year. Modelling studies based on production-irradiance curves were also conducted. A total of 19 taxa were identified among diatoms, dinoflagellates and euglenophyceans, the less abundant group. Lowest diversities (Shannon– Wiener index) were observed just before the opening to the sea. Results show a negative correlation (p<0.05) between diversity and chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration (0.2–40.3 mg Chl a m-3). Higher Chl a values corresponded to periods when the community was dominated by the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (>90% of cell abundance) and production was maximal (up to 234.8 mg C m-3 h-1). Maximal photosynthetic rates (Pmax) (2.0–22.5 mg C mg Chl a-1 h-1) were higher under lower Chl a concentrations. The results of this work suggest that decreases in diversity are associated with increases in biomass and production, whereas increases correspond to opposite trends. It is suggested that these trends, contrary to those observed in terrestrial and in some benthic ecosystems, may be a result of low habitat diversity in the water column and resulting competitive pressure. The occurrence of the highest photosynthetic rates when Chl a is low, under some of the highest diversities, suggests a more efficient use of irradiance under low biomass–high diversity conditions. Results suggest that this increased efficiency is not explained by potential reductions in nutrient limitation and intraspecific competition under lower biomasses and may be a result of niche complementarity.por
dc.identifier.citationHydrobiologia. 555 (2006), pp. 3 - 18.por
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10284/286por
dc.language.isoengpor
dc.publisherSpringerpor
dc.relation.ispartofseriesHydrobiologiapor
dc.relation.ispartofseries555por
dc.subjectPhytoplankton diversitypor
dc.subjectProductionpor
dc.subjectCoastal lagoonspor
dc.titleThe relationship between phytoplankton diversity and community function in a coastal lagoonpor
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
person.familyNameDuarte
person.familyNameMacedo
person.familyNameCancela da Fonseca
person.givenNamePedro
person.givenNameMaria Filomena
person.givenNameLuís
person.identifier158912
person.identifier.ciencia-idF614-0053-05A5
person.identifier.ciencia-idD71B-29B0-FE74
person.identifier.ciencia-idC01F-F68E-2327
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-7461-605X
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-4366-4192
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-6527-0827
person.identifier.ridF-1247-2014
person.identifier.ridI-5564-2012
person.identifier.scopus-author-id7005201821
person.identifier.scopus-author-id35821442200
person.identifier.scopus-author-id8640178100
rcaap.rightsopenAccesspor
rcaap.typearticlepor
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationde486bab-75c6-4f98-8ee1-b27b20edbe2d
relation.isAuthorOfPublication18d78d0f-5628-496b-a591-2cd462155d32
relation.isAuthorOfPublicatione3de5d29-71b0-499d-ada4-61434413fc7a
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoveryde486bab-75c6-4f98-8ee1-b27b20edbe2d

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