Resource competition between buoyancy‐regulating and sinking phytoplankton species along a stratified water column
Abstract
In temperate lakes, plankton dynamics are closely linked to seasonal shifts in water stratification, following air temperature. The onset of summer stratification typically coincides with the formation of an algal spring bloom in the well‐mixed surface layer (epilimnion). However, extended stratification periods lead to nutrient depletion and increase the risk of algae sinking out of the sunlit epilimnion. Planktonic primary producers have evolved different traits to counteract sinking, such as specific morphological shapes, but also adaptive mechanisms like active buoyancy regulation. The latter is very common for cyanobacteria and gives them a competitive advantage over sinking taxa, specifically during extended stratified periods. Existing conceptual models on plankton phenology neglect the vertical dimension of plankton bloom formation, focusing mainly on epilimnion blooms. This limits projections of how changes in stratification through global warming will affect plankton composition, productivity, and water quality. Here we develop a theoretical framework to investigate resource competition between a passively sinking (S) and a buoyancy‐regulating (BR) phytoplankton species along a one‐dimensional water column. The BR species adaptively moves towards optimal light and nutrient availability along the water column. Our results indicate that coexistence between BR and S algae is critically dependent on differences in resource requirements, which can lead to situations of competitive exclusion but also coexistence in overlapping or vertically separated depths. Our results highlight the importance of vertical movement strategies in structuring phytoplankton communities and its consideration for projections on plankton phenology, composition and lake primary production under changing stratification regimes.
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BibTeX
@article{rossignol2026resource,
title = {{Resource competition between buoyancy‐regulating and sinking phytoplankton species along a stratified water column}},
author = {Arthur F. Rossignol and Sabine Wollrab},
journal = {Oikos},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1002/oik.12189},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05840005v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Resource competition between buoyancy‐regulating and sinking phytoplankton species along a stratified water column
AU - Arthur F. Rossignol
AU - Sabine Wollrab
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/08
JO - Oikos
DO - 10.1002/oik.12189
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05840005v1
AB - In temperate lakes, plankton dynamics are closely linked to seasonal shifts in water stratification, following air temperature. The onset of summer stratification typically coincides with the formation of an algal spring bloom in the well‐mixed surface layer (epilimnion). However, extended stratification periods lead to nutrient depletion and increase the risk of algae sinking out of the sunlit epilimnion. Planktonic primary producers have evolved different traits to counteract sinking, such as specific morphological shapes, but also adaptive mechanisms like active buoyancy regulation. The latter is very common for cyanobacteria and gives them a competitive advantage over sinking taxa, specifically during extended stratified periods. Existing conceptual models on plankton phenology neglect the vertical dimension of plankton bloom formation, focusing mainly on epilimnion blooms. This limits projections of how changes in stratification through global warming will affect plankton composition, productivity, and water quality. Here we develop a theoretical framework to investigate resource competition between a passively sinking (S) and a buoyancy‐regulating (BR) phytoplankton species along a one‐dimensional water column. The BR species adaptively moves towards optimal light and nutrient availability along the water column. Our results indicate that coexistence between BR and S algae is critically dependent on differences in resource requirements, which can lead to situations of competitive exclusion but also coexistence in overlapping or vertically separated depths. Our results highlight the importance of vertical movement strategies in structuring phytoplankton communities and its consideration for projections on plankton phenology, composition and lake primary production under changing stratification regimes.
SN - 0030-1299
SN - 1600-0706
ER -