Stochastic and Deterministic Processes Regulate Phytoplankton Assemblages in a Temperate Coastal Ecosystem
Dimitra‐Ioli Skouroliakou, Elsa Breton, Solène Irion, Luis Felipe Artigas, Urania Christaki
Abstract
While ecological deterministic processes are conducive to modeling, stochastic ones are far less predictable. Understanding the overall assembly processes of phytoplankton is critical in tracking and predicting future changes. The novelty of this study was that it addressed a long-posed question, on a pluriannual scale. Was seasonal phytoplankton succession influenced by deterministic processes (e.g., abiotic environment) or by stochastic ones (e.g., dispersal, or ecological drift)? Our results provided strong support for a seasonal and repeating pattern with stochastic processes (drift) prevailing during most of the year and periods with monospecific phytoplankton peaks.