EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON ADAPTIVE EVOLUTION OF PHYTOPLANKTON CELL SIZE

We present a simple nutrient–phytoplankton model that incorporates adaptive evolution and allometric relations. This model allows us to examine the patterns and consequences of adaptive changes in the cell size of phytoplankton under the effect of changes in water temperature. A theoretical study reveals that the ecological reproductive index can be used to characterize the evolutionary dynamics of the nutrient–phytoplankton model. Numerical analysis suggests that phytoplankton should evolve toward the small sizes typical of picophytoplankton as the water temperature increases. This study provides a framework for studying the adaptive evolution of phytoplankton cell size in water ecosystem.