THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ECOLOGY OF DAPHNIA: DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL OF GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION'

Patterns of growth, development, and reproduction have been observed in many Daphnia species, and there have been some attempts to explain them using models that take into account rates of intake, assimilation, maintenance, and energy allocation rules. We show, however, that existing models cannot capture some essential features of individual growth, especially under conditions of low food supply that are typical of field conditions. These features include: (1) a sigmoid growth curve, and (2) the time to starvation or the performance of individuals during periods of low food availability. We propose and test a new hypothesis based on the idea that allometric relationship for physiological rates are stage dependent. We show that ingestion rates increase much faster with juvenile body size than with adult body size for several Daphnia species. Existing data suggest that allometric relationships for respiration are not stage dependent, and we derive a maintenance function that takes into account overheads associated with growth and basal metabolic rates. The new allometric relationships for ingestion and maintenance, along with an accurate description of the onset of maturity and partitioning of energy between growth and reproduction, can account for the sigmoid growth pattern displayed by Daphnia. Existing models cannot explain Daphnia's performance when food availability is low, and this led us to examine how Daphnia stores energy and uses reserves. Our review synthesizes disparate observations on the structure and dynamics of reserves, and forms the basis for a new model of Daphnia pulex.

[1]  William Gurney,et al.  The physiological ecology of Daphnia: a dynamic model of growth and reproduction , 1990 .

[2]  William W. Murdoch,et al.  Simple Models and Variation in Plankton Densities Among Lakes , 1988, The American Naturalist.

[3]  W. Murdoch,et al.  Cyclic and Stable Populations: Plankton as Paradigm , 1987, The American Naturalist.

[4]  W. Murdoch,et al.  Three distinct types of dynamic behaviour shown by a single planktonic system , 1985, Nature.

[5]  R. Peters.  The Ecological Implications of Body Size , 1983 .

[6]  J. Gerritsen,et al.  The effect of food concentration on swimming patterns, feeding behavior, ingestion, assimilation, and respiration by Daphnia1 , 1982 .

[7]  A. J. Tessier,et al.  Estimating food limitation in cladoceran populations1 , 1982 .

[8]  W. R. Demott,et al.  Feeding selectivities and relative ingestion rates of Daphnia and Bosmina1 , 1982 .

[9]  William D. Taylor,et al.  Growth Model of Daphnia , 1982 .

[10]  M. Lynch.  The Evolution of Cladoceran Life Histories , 1980, The Quarterly Review of Biology.

[11]  Stephen T. Threlkeld,et al.  Starvation and the size structure of zooplankton communities , 1976 .

[12]  H. Clifford,et al.  Field and laboratory studies of Daphnia schodleri Sars from a winterkill lake of Alberta , 1974 .

[13]  D. Arnold.  INGESTION, ASSIMILATION, SURVIVAL, AND REPRODUCTION BY DAPHNIA PULEX FED SEVEN SPECIES OF BLUE‐GREEN ALGAE1,2 , 1971 .

[14]  C. Burns.  RELATION BETWEEN FILTERING RATE, TEMPERATURE, AND BODY SIZE IN FOUR SPECIES OF DAPHNIA , 1969 .

[15]  James W. Sinko,et al.  Applying Models Incorporating Age‐Size Structure of a Population to Daphnia , 1969 .

[16]  D. Schindler,et al.  FEEDING, ASSIMILATION AND RESPIRATION RATES OF DAPHNIA MAGNA UJNDER VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THEIR RELATION TO PRODUCTION ESTIMATES , 1968 .

[17]  C. Burns,et al.  COMPARISON OF FILTERING RATES OF DAPHNIA ROSEA IN LAKE WATER AND IN SUSPENSIONS OF YEAST1 , 1967 .

[18]  J. W. McMahon,et al.  SOME PHYSICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THE FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF DAPHNIA MAGNA STRAUS , 1965 .

[19]  Sumner Richman,et al.  The Transformation of Energy by Daphnia pulex , 1958 .

[20]  P. Frank,et al.  Vital Statistics of Laboratory Cultures of Daphnia pulex DeGeer as Related to Density , 1957, Physiological Zoology.

[21]  H. H. Dunham.  Abundant Feeding Followed by Restricted Feeding and Longevity in Daphnia , 1938, Physiological Zoology.

[22]  B. Anderson,et al.  GROWTH AND VARIABILITY IN DAPHNIA PULEX , 1937 .

[23]  Arthur Mangun Banta,et al.  A study of longevity, growth, reproduction and heart rate in Daphnia longispina as influenced by limitations in quantity of food , 1937 .

[24]  B. Anderson.  THE NUMBER OF PRE-ADULT INSTARS, GROWTH, RELATIVE GROWTH, AND VARIATION IN DAPHNIA MAGNA , 1932 .

[25]  A. M. Banta.  A CONVENIENT CULTURE MEDIUM FOR DAPHNIDS. , 1921, Science.

[26]  M. Lynch,et al.  Measurement of the carbon balance in Daphnia , 1986 .

[27]  W. Gabriel,et al.  Reproductive strategies of two similar Daphnia species , 1985 .

[28]  W. Gabriel,et al.  Tracer kinetics in Daphnia: an improved two-compartment model and experimental test , 1984 .