Global biodiversity patterns of marine phytoplankton


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Author / Producer

Date

2019

Publication Type

Doctoral Thesis

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

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Data

Abstract

One of the most pressing tasks faced by environmental scientists and society is to predict how climate and other environmental factors shape the distribution of biological species at the global scale. Whether a region houses many or few species affects ecosystem functions, including productivity and stability, through complementarity in species’ niches. Phytoplankton have evolved ecological niches that fill the entire near-surface global ocean. Despite being some of the tiniest organisms on Earth, they drive as much as half of global primary production. However, the functional and ecological consequences of phytoplankton species diversity have been poorly known, as global diversity patterns of these microbes have been among the least characterized throughout the history of ecology. To determine global patterns and drivers of phytoplankton diversity, this thesis combines ocean-sourced data with statistical models, developed specifically to address data sparseness.

Publication status

published

Editor

Contributors

Examiner: Gruber, Nicolas
Examiner : Vogt, Meike
Examiner : Zimmermann, Niklaus E.
Examiner : Cermeño, Pedro

Book title

Journal / series

Volume

Pages / Article No.

Publisher

ETH Zurich

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Species richness; Phytoplankton; Species distribution modeling; Latitudinal diversity gradient; Vulnerability assessment; Ocean warming; Ecological theory; Cell size; Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning

Organisational unit

03731 - Gruber, Nicolas / Gruber, Nicolas check_circle

Notes

Funding