Growth and Reproductive Strategies of Freshwater Phytoplankton

About this book

Growth and Reproductive Strategies of Freshwater Phytoplankton brings both the phycological (i.e. botanical) and limnological (i.e. ecological) literature into focus to reveal the morphological, reproductive and physiological characteristics of these microscopic organisms. Emphasis is on adaptive strategies for survival in stressful and seasonally changing aquatic habitats. The synthesis of this literature from an organismal and evolutionary perspective is unique. The following important groups of planktonic algae are considered: cyanobacteria, green algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates, cryptomonads, and chrysophyte flagellates. For each algal group, the importance of both growth and loss processes influencing biogeography and seasonality is emphasised. Where appropriate, the importance of sexual reproduction and benthic resting stages is considered. The final three chapters bring together data on three major ecological processes relevant to phytoplankton, i.e. resource competition, grazing by herbivorous zooplankton, and morphological and physiological 'packaging plans' of algal cells.

Contents

1. General introduction Craig D. Sandgren; 2. The ecology of chrysophyte flagellates: their growth and perennation strategies as freshwater phytoplankton Craig D. Sandgren; 3. Ecology of the cryptomonadida - a first review Dag Klaveness; 4. Freshwater peridinoid dinoflagellates: growth, reproduction strategies and population dynamics Utsa Pollingher; 5. Ecology of freshwater planktonic green algae Christine M. Happey-Wood; 6. Growth and survival strategies of plankton diatoms Ulrich Sommer; 7. Growth and reproductive strategies of freshwater blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) Hans W. Paerl; 8. Physiological mechanisms in phytoplankton resource competition David H. Turpin; 9. Selective herbivory and its role in the evolution of phytoplankton growth strategies John T. Lehman; 10. Functional morphology and the adaptive strategies of freshwater phytoplankton Colin S. Reynolds.

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