The shape of a defense-growth trade-off governs seasonal trait dynamics in natural phytoplankton.

ABSTRACT: Theory predicts that trade-offs, quantifying costs of functional trait adjustments, crucially affect community trait adaptation to altered environmental conditions, but empirical verification is scarce. We evaluated trait dynamics (antipredator defense, maximum growth rate, and phosphate affinity) of a lake phytoplankton community in a seasonally changing environment, using literature trait data and 21 years of species-resolved high-frequency biomass measurements. The trait data indicated a concave defense-growth trade-off, promoting fast-growing species with intermediate defense. With seasonally increasing grazing pressure, the community shifted toward higher defense levels at the cost of lower growth rates along the trade-off curve, while phosphate affinity explained some deviations from

SUBMITTER: Ehrlich E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7242350 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature