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Rapid eco-evolutionary responses in perturbed phytoplankton communities.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|August 28, 2015
Summary
Genetic diversity influences ecological community responses to environmental change. This study found that while ecological shifts dominate, genetic selection can occur under sustained acidification, impacting phytoplankton communities.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Biodiversity loss is a major global threat.
- Compensatory dynamics can stabilize communities after disturbances.
- The role of genetic diversity in community responses to environmental change remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ecological and genetic mechanisms driving lake phytoplankton community responses to acidification.
- To assess the contribution of genotype shifts to community resilience in natural settings.
Main Methods:
- Used lake mesocosms to simulate press (sustained) and pulse (short-term) acidification.
- Identified phytoplankton morphospecies microscopically for ecological assessment.
- Sequenced the ITS2 region of ribosomal DNA to detect genetic shifts (genotype selection).
Main Results:
- Observed both ecological and genetic contributions to community responses.
- Ecological responses (compensatory morphospecies dynamics) were prominent in pulse perturbation.
- Evidence of genotype selection was found in two chlorophyte species under press acidification.
Conclusions:
- Ecological and genetic diversity both contribute to community stability.
- Genotype selection, though potentially rare, is detectable under sustained environmental change.
- This highlights the importance of evolutionary processes in maintaining biodiversity under stress.
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