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Spatial Interaction Among Nontoxic Phytoplankton, Toxic Phytoplankton, and Zooplankton: Emergence in Space and Time

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Abstract

In homogeneous environments, by overturning the possibility of competitive exclusion among phytoplankton species, and by regulating the dynamics of overall plankton population, toxin-producing phytoplankton (TPP) potentially help in maintaining plankton diversity—a result shown recently. Here, I explore the competitive effects of TPP on phytoplankton and zooplankton species undergoing spatial movements in the subsurface water. The spatial interactions among the species are represented in the form of reaction-diffusion equations. Suitable parametric conditions under which Turing patterns may or may not evolve are investigated. Spatiotemporal distributions of species biomass are simulated using the diffusivity assumptions realistic for natural planktonic systems. The study demonstrates that spatial movements of planktonic systems in the presence of TPP generate and maintain inhomogeneous biomass distribution of competing phytoplankton, as well as grazer zooplankton, thereby ensuring the persistence of multiple species in space and time. The overall results may potentially explain the sustainability of biodiversity and the spatiotemporal emergence of phytoplankton and zooplankton species under the influence of TPP combined with their physical movement in the subsurface water.

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Acknowledgements

The present research of S. Roy is supported by a Royal Society International Fellowship. The valuable comments of Professor K. J. Flynn, University of Swansea, on an early version of the paper are acknowledged. The author thanks the learned referees for their valuable comments that have improved the presentation of the paper.

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  1. School of Mathematics, The University of Manchester, Alan Turing Building, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    Shovonlal Roy

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Roy, S. Spatial Interaction Among Nontoxic Phytoplankton, Toxic Phytoplankton, and Zooplankton: Emergence in Space and Time. J Biol Phys 34, 459–474 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10867-008-9100-5

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