Title: Theoretical Approaches to Phytoplankton Ecology
Speaker: Chris Klausmeier (Kellogg's Biological Station, Michigan State University)
Abstract: Phytoplankton, the microscopic primary producers in lakes and oceans, are an ideal system for doing theoretical ecology. In this talk I will talk about three dimensions in which phytoplankton show intriguing patterns: in space, in time, and in the space of functional traits. In space, we focus on the vertical distribution of phytoplankton in the water column. Phytoplankton require light and nutrients to grow, but these essential resources often form contrasting gradients with depth. We use reaction-diffusion-advection models along with game theoretical approaches to figure out how phytoplankton resolve this problem. In time, plankton communities are regularly driven away from equilibrium by the changing of the seasons. We use forced differential equation models and analytical approximations to study the dynamics of the seasonal succession of species. In trait-space, we use trait-based modeling techniques adapted from evolutionary game theory to understand the emergence and maintenance of biodiversity in ecological communities. (This is joint work with Elena Litchman.)
Seminar URL: https://research.math.osu.edu/pde/
