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Intraspecific trait variation and trade‐offs within and across populations of a toxic dinoflagellate
Author(s) -
Brandenburg Karen M.,
Wohlrab Sylke,
John Uwe,
Kremp Anke,
Jerney Jacqueline,
Krock Bernd,
Van de Waal Dedmer B.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/ele.13138
Subject(s) - intraspecific competition , biology , interspecific competition , trait , ecology , dinoflagellate , phytoplankton , genetic variation , algae , competition (biology) , mesocosm , ecosystem , nutrient , gene , computer science , programming language , biochemistry
Abstract Intraspecific trait diversity can promote the success of a species, as complementarity of functional traits within populations may enhance its competitive success and facilitates resilience to changing environmental conditions. Here, we experimentally determined the variation and relationships between traits in 15 strains of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii derived from two populations. Measured traits included growth rate, cell size, elemental composition, nitrogen uptake kinetics, toxin production and allelochemical potency. Our results demonstrate substantial variation in all analysed traits both within and across populations, particularly in nitrogen affinity, which was even comparable to interspecific variation across phytoplankton species. We found distinct trade‐offs between maximum nitrogen uptake rate and affinity, and between defensive and competitive traits. Furthermore, we identified differences in trait variation between the genetically similar populations. The observed high trait variation may facilitate development and resilience of harmful algal blooms under dynamic environmental conditions.