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Colonization dynamics in trophic-functional structure of periphytic protist communities in coastal waters

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Abstract

The colonization dynamics in trophic-functional patterns of periphytic protist communities was studied in coastal waters of the Yellow Sea, northern China, from May to June, 2010. The periphytic protists represented different trophic-functional structures during colonization process. Only certain trophic-functional groups (e.g., photoautotrophs, algivores and non-selectives) occurred within the protist communities with low species number and abundance at the initial stage (1–3 days), while more trophic-functional groups (e.g., photoautotrophs, algivores, non-selectives and raptors) contributed to the communities with increased and peaked species number and abundance at the transitional (7–10 days) and equilibrium (14–28 days) stages, respectively. All heterotrophic groups were significantly fitted the MacArthur–Wilson model in colonization curves and represented higher species number and colonization rates at a depth of 1 m than at 3 m. These results may provide necessary understandings for ecological researches and monitoring programs using periphytic protists with different colonization ages in marine ecosystems.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by “The Natural Science Foundation of China” (project number: 41076089). Our special thanks are due to Prof. Weibo Song, Laboratory of Protozoology, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, for his helpful discussions during the preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Protozoology, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

    Wei Zhang, Henglong Xu, Yong Jiang & Mingzhuang Zhu

  2. Zoology Department, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Khaled A. S. Al-Rasheid

Authors
  1. Wei Zhang
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  2. Henglong Xu
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  3. Yong Jiang
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  4. Mingzhuang Zhu
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  5. Khaled A. S. Al-Rasheid
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henglong Xu.

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Communicated by M. Kühl.

Appendix

Appendix

Txonomic and trophic-functional data (Table 4).

Table 4 Occurrences of periphytic protist species at the initial (1–3 days), transitional (7–10 days) and equilibrium (14–28 days) stages from two depths 1 and 3 m in coastal waters of the Yellow Sea, near Qingdao, northern China, during the study period
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Zhang, W., Xu, H., Jiang, Y. et al. Colonization dynamics in trophic-functional structure of periphytic protist communities in coastal waters. Mar Biol 159, 735–748 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1850-0

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