Contemporaneous Disequilibrium, a New Hypothesis to Explain the „Paradox of the Plankton”

摘要: The diversity of lake phytoplankton is unexpectedly high, since the epilimnion a continuously mixing and might be expected to have only one or at most few niches for primary producers. However, carefully replicated series samples from Castle Lake, Calif., showed high degree patchiness many species, indicating that rate slow enough relative reproductive algae different exist simultaneously. Productivity per unit biomass ratios, measured Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada, shows turnover times carbon in even this ultraoligotrophic are often less than 1 day. High associated with productivity zooplankton populations lake. A contemporaneous disequilibrium model explain therefore highly plausible. At any time, patches water which species competitive advantage others. These masses stable permit considerable occur phytoplankton, but obliterated frequently prevent exclusive occupation each niche by single species.