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Climate change effects on phytoplankton depend on cell size and food web structure

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Abstract

We investigated the effects of warming on a natural phytoplankton community from the Baltic Sea, based on six mesocosm experiments conducted 2005–2009. We focused on differences in the dynamics of three phytoplankton size groups which are grazed to a variable extent by different zooplankton groups. While small-sized algae were mostly grazer-controlled, light and nutrient availability largely determined the growth of medium- and large-sized algae. Thus, the latter groups dominated at increased light levels. Warming increased mesozooplankton grazing on medium-sized algae, reducing their biomass. The biomass of small-sized algae was not affected by temperature, probably due to an interplay between indirect effects spreading through the food web. Thus, under the higher temperature and lower light levels anticipated for the next decades in the southern Baltic Sea, a higher share of smaller phytoplankton is expected. We conclude that considering the size structure of the phytoplankton community strongly improves the reliability of projections of climate change effects.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) within the priority program 1162 ‘The impact of climate variability on aquatic ecosystems’ (AQUASHIFT). Francisco de Castro is acknowledged for advice on computational issues. T. Klauschies also thanks Aleksandra Lewandowska for help in technical questions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469, Potsdam, Germany

    Toni Klauschies, Barbara Bauer & Ursula Gaedke

  2. Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR), Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany

    Barbara Bauer & Ulrich Sommer

  3. Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research at Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Kurpromenade C-47, 27498, Helgoland, Germany

    Nicole Aberle-Malzahn

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  1. Toni Klauschies
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  2. Barbara Bauer
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  3. Nicole Aberle-Malzahn
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  4. Ulrich Sommer
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  5. Ursula Gaedke
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Correspondence to Toni Klauschies.

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Communicated by R. Adrian.

Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 4.

Table 4 Classification of autotrophic phytoplankton and microzooplankton into functional groups
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Appendix 2

See Table 5.

Table 5 Classification of heterotrophic microzooplankton into functional groups
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Appendix 3

See Fig. 10

Fig. 10
figure 10

Mean biomasses [µg C L−1] of (a, d) smaller (CS) and (b, e) larger ciliates (CL) and (c, f) heterotrophic dinoflagellates (DINO) in relation to the mean biomass [µg C L−1] of copepods (COP) for the high-light (a–c) and low-light experiments (d–f). White and black squares indicate data from the ambient (ΔT = 0 °C, ΔT = 2 °C)- and warm (ΔT = 4 °C, ΔT = 6 °C)-temperature treatments, respectively. Data points of the years 2005 and 2008 are marked by squares and of the years 2007 and 2009 by circles. Black (ΔT = 4 °C, ΔT = 6 °C) and grey (ΔT = 0 °C, ΔT = 2 °C) lines represent significant (P < 0.05) linear regression lines. Dashed lines represent 1:1 relationships

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Appendix 4

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Fig. 11
figure 11

Maximum biomasses [µg C L−1] of a copepods (COP), b nauplii (NAUP), c edible microzooplankton (EMZ), d inedible microzooplankton (IMZ), e smaller (CS) and f larger ciliates (CL) and g heterotrophic dinoflagellates (DINO) in relation to the initial light intensity [Watt m−2 d−1] of the experiments. h The maximum biomass of inedible microzooplankton (IMZ) in relation to the maximum biomass of DINO. White and black squares indicate data from the ambient (ΔT = 0 °C, ΔT = 2 °C)- and warm (ΔT = 4 °C, ΔT = 6 °C)-temperature treatments, respectively. The low-light and high-light experiments are marked light and dark grey. Black (ΔT = 6 °C) and grey (ΔT = 0 °C) lines represented significant (P < 0.05) linear regression lines. Dashed lines represent 1:1 relationships

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Klauschies, T., Bauer, B., Aberle-Malzahn, N. et al. Climate change effects on phytoplankton depend on cell size and food web structure. Mar Biol 159, 2455–2478 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1904-y

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