title: Climate change affects low trophic level marine consumers: warming decreases copepod size and abundance.
abstract: Concern about climate change has re-ignited interest in universal ecological responses to temperature variations: (1) biogeographical shifts, (2) phenology changes, and (3) size shifts. In this study we used copepods as model organisms to study size responses to temperature because of their central role in the pelagic food web and because of the ontogenetic length constancy between molts, which facilitates the definition of size of distinct developmental stages. In order to test the expected temperature-induced shifts towards smaller body size and lower abundances under warming conditions, a mesocosm experiment using plankton from the Baltic Sea at three temperature levels (ambient, ambient +4 °C, ambient -4 °C) was performed in summer 2010. Overall copepod and copepodit abundances, copepod size at all life stages, and adult copepod size in particular, showed significant temperature effects. As expected, zooplankton peak abundance was lower in warm than in ambient treatments. Copepod size-at-immature stage significantly increased in cold treatments, while adult size significantly decreased in warm treatments.
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Experimental Ecology-Food Webs, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Duesternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany. jgarzke@geomar.de.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garzke
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Experimental Ecology-Food Webs, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Duesternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie M H
authors.initials: SMH
authors.lastname: Ismar
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Experimental Ecology-Food Webs, Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Duesternbrooker Weg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sommer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D057231:Climate Change; D033342:Copepoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development; D020387:Food Chain; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000254:growth & development*