TY - JOUR

T1 - Mixotrophy in planktonic protists: an overview.

AU - Jones, Roger I.

PY - 2000/10

Y1 - 2000/10

N2 - 1. An overview is provided of the role of mixotrophic protists in plankton communities. Consideration of the importance of phagotrophy in the evolution of photosynthetic eucaryotes suggests that mixotrophy as a nutritional strategy can arise rather readily. 2. Mixotrophic protists actually present a spectrum of nutritional strategies. However, recognition of distinct groups of mixotrophs based on nutritional behaviour facilitates consideration of their functional role and of competitive interactions with other types of planktonic protists. 3. Consideration of the costs and benefits of mixotrophy as a nutritional strategy allows the development of several empirical predictions about the probable outcome of resource competition between mixotrophs and obligate phototrophs or phagotrophs. Existing results from laboratory and field experiments allow some of these predictions to be evaluated. 4. These results indicate that, under specified conditions, mixotrophs should represent an important link in the flux of materials through planktonic food webs. However, quantifying these fluxes remains a challenge for the future.

AB - 1. An overview is provided of the role of mixotrophic protists in plankton communities. Consideration of the importance of phagotrophy in the evolution of photosynthetic eucaryotes suggests that mixotrophy as a nutritional strategy can arise rather readily. 2. Mixotrophic protists actually present a spectrum of nutritional strategies. However, recognition of distinct groups of mixotrophs based on nutritional behaviour facilitates consideration of their functional role and of competitive interactions with other types of planktonic protists. 3. Consideration of the costs and benefits of mixotrophy as a nutritional strategy allows the development of several empirical predictions about the probable outcome of resource competition between mixotrophs and obligate phototrophs or phagotrophs. Existing results from laboratory and field experiments allow some of these predictions to be evaluated. 4. These results indicate that, under specified conditions, mixotrophs should represent an important link in the flux of materials through planktonic food webs. However, quantifying these fluxes remains a challenge for the future.

KW - competition • mixotrophy • phagotrophy • phototrophy • plankton

U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-2427.2000.00672.x

DO - 10.1046/j.1365-2427.2000.00672.x

M3 - Journal article

VL - 45

SP - 219

EP - 226

JO - Freshwater Biology

JF - Freshwater Biology

SN - 0046-5070

IS - 2

ER -