Affiliation:
1. School of Biological Sciences Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta Georgia USA
2. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota St Paul Minnesota USA
3. The Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta Georgia USA
4. Lambert High School Atlanta Georgia USA
5. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta Georgia USA
Abstract
AbstractNanoparticle pollution has been shown to affect various organisms. However, the effects of nanoparticles on species interactions, and the role of species traits, such as body size, in modulating these effects, are not well‐understood. We addressed this issue using competing freshwater phytoplankton species exposed to copper oxide nanoparticles. Increasing nanoparticle concentration resulted in decreased phytoplankton species growth rates and community productivity (both abundance and biomass). Importantly, we consistently found that nanoparticles had greater negative effects on species with smaller cell sizes, such that nanoparticle pollution weakened the competitive dominance of smaller species and promoted species diversity. Moreover, nanoparticles reduced the growth rate differences and competitive ability differences of competing species, while having little effect on species niche differences. Consequently, nanoparticle pollution reduced the selection effect on phytoplankton community abundance, but increased the selection effect on community biomass. Our results suggest cell size as a key functional trait to consider when predicting phytoplankton community structure and ecosystem functioning in the face of increasing nanopollution.
Funder
National Science Foundation
Subject
General Environmental Science,Ecology,Environmental Chemistry,Global and Planetary Change
Cited by
2 articles.
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