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Chapter 6 - Mortality and loss processes in phytoplankton

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2009

C. S. Reynolds
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster
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Summary

Introduction

This chapter considers the sinks and, more particularly, the dynamic rates of loss of formed cells from phytoplankton populations. Several processes are involved – hydromechanical transport, passive settlement and destruction by herbivores and parasites – which, separately or in concert, may greatly influence the structuring of communities and the outcome of competitive interactions among phytoplankton. Moreover, these same processes may contribute powerfully to the biogeochemical importance of pelagic communities, through their role in translocating bioproducts from one point of the planet's surface to another.

Before expanding upon these processes, however, the opportunity is taken to emphasise that the losses considered in this chapter are those that affect the dynamics of populations. The (sometimes very large) loss of photosynthate produced in excess of the cell's ability to incorporate in biomass is not considered here. The topic is covered in a different context in Chapter 3 (see especially Section 3.5.4). The emphasis is necessary as the term ‘loss rates’ was applied collectively to the dynamics of almost all measurable photosynthetic production that did not find its way into increased producer biomass (Jassby and Goldman, 1974a). It had been supposed by many workers at the time that the realised shortfall was attributable to grazing and sedimentation of biomass. However, with the demonstration that, very often, production in some systems was almost wholly and precisely compensated by simultaneous bulk loss rates (Forsberg, 1985), when the rates of grazing or sedimentation might only rarely explain the disappearance of the equivalent of the day's new product, it became clear that some further separation of the ‘losses’ was necessary, together with some refinement of the terminology.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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