What’s the matter in phytoplankton? Highlighting the importance of stoichiometric traits in lake ecosystem models

TY - JOUR

T1 - What’s the matter in phytoplankton?

T2 - Highlighting the importance of stoichiometric traits in lake ecosystem models

AU - Olson, Carly R.

AU - Gschwentner, Daniel

AU - Drost, Annemieke M.

AU - Mohan, Joseph

AU - Klip, Helena C. L.

N1 - Data archiving: no NIOO data. Publicly available datasets were analysed.

PY - 2024/11/26

Y1 - 2024/11/26

N2 - Introduction: Accurate models of lake primary production are crucial for understanding ecosystem function and predicting ecosystem responses to global change. However, current research in lake ecosystem modeling has emphasized environmental characteristics while less work has considered phytoplankton stoichiometric traits. Importantly, these traits link resource availability to primary production via organismal metabolism and thus are critical to predicting ecosystem function.Methods: Here, we use an existing database of phytoplankton traits and lake ecosystem models to demonstrate that phytoplankton minimum quotas for nitrogen and phosphorus significantly influence predictions of lake gross primary production. Additionally, we compare how different parameterizations of phytoplankton stoichiometry affect modeled gross primary production. Finally, we evaluate the ability of the models to capture observed patterns in gross primary production and seston stoichiometry for lakes in the Northern Hemisphere.Results and discussion: We argue that parameterization and calibration of phytoplankton stoichiometric traits will improve lake ecosystem models and are critical for obtaining better estimates of lake primary production.

AB - Introduction: Accurate models of lake primary production are crucial for understanding ecosystem function and predicting ecosystem responses to global change. However, current research in lake ecosystem modeling has emphasized environmental characteristics while less work has considered phytoplankton stoichiometric traits. Importantly, these traits link resource availability to primary production via organismal metabolism and thus are critical to predicting ecosystem function.Methods: Here, we use an existing database of phytoplankton traits and lake ecosystem models to demonstrate that phytoplankton minimum quotas for nitrogen and phosphorus significantly influence predictions of lake gross primary production. Additionally, we compare how different parameterizations of phytoplankton stoichiometry affect modeled gross primary production. Finally, we evaluate the ability of the models to capture observed patterns in gross primary production and seston stoichiometry for lakes in the Northern Hemisphere.Results and discussion: We argue that parameterization and calibration of phytoplankton stoichiometric traits will improve lake ecosystem models and are critical for obtaining better estimates of lake primary production.

U2 - 10.3389/fevo.2024.1505018

DO - 10.3389/fevo.2024.1505018

M3 - Article

SN - 2296-701X

VL - 12

JO - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

JF - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

M1 - 1505018

ER -