The Stability of Phyto-Zooplanktonic Networks Varied with Zooplanktonic Sizes in Chinese Coastal Ecosystem
Zheng Zhang, Hongjun Li, Wenli Shen, Kai Feng, Shuzhen Li, Songsong Gu, Yuqi Zhou, Xi Peng, Xiongfeng Du, Qing He, Linlin Wang, Zhaojing Zhang, Danrui Wang, Zhujun Wang, Ye Deng
Abstract
Body size is a key life trait of aquatic plankton that affects organisms' metabolic rates and ecological functions; however, its specific effects on interactions between phytoplankton and zooplankton are poorly understood. We collected planktonic species and their body size data along more than 13,000 kilometers of coastline to explore the role of zooplanktonic body size in maintaining the stability of phyto-zooplanktonic networks (PZNs). We found that zooplankton play a more important role in maintaining PZN stability than do phytoplankton as well as that the PZN would be more complex and stable with smaller zooplankton. Furthermore, this work revealed that body size significantly determined the relationships between environmental factors and network structure. Overall, these findings lay a general relationship between zooplanktonic body sizes and the stability of PZNs, which helps us further explore the micro food web of coastal ecosystems.