title: Modelling algae-duckweed interaction under chemical pressure within a laboratory microcosm.
abstract: Contaminant effects on species are generally assessed with single-species bioassays. As a consequence, interactions between species that occur in ecosystems are not taken into account. To investigate the effects of contaminants on interacting species dynamics, our study describes the functioning of a 2-L laboratory microcosm with two species, the duckweed Lemna minor and the microalgae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, exposed to cadmium contamination. We modelled the dynamics of both species and their interactions using a mechanistic model based on coupled ordinary differential equations. The main processes occurring in this two-species microcosm were thus formalised, including growth and settling of algae, growth of duckweeds, interspecific competition between the two species and cadmium effects. We estimated model parameters by Bayesian inference, using simultaneously all the data issued from multiple laboratory experiments specifically conducted for this study. Cadmium concentrations ranged between 0 and 50 μg·L(-1). For all parameters of our model, we obtained biologically realistic values and reasonable uncertainties. Only duckweed dynamics was affected by interspecific competition, while algal dynamics was not impaired. Growth rate of both species decreased with cadmium concentration, as well as competition intensity showing that the interspecific competition pressure on duckweed decreased with cadmium concentration. This innovative combination of mechanistic modelling and model-guided experiments was successful to understand the algae-duckweed microcosm functioning without and with contaminant. This approach appears promising to include interactions between species when studying contaminant effects on ecosystem functioning.
authors.affiliation: Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; ENTPE; CNRS, UMR 5023, Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés; 3, rue Maurice Audin, 69518 Vaulx-en-Velin, France; Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lamonica
authors.affiliation: Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; ENTPE; CNRS, UMR 5023, Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés; 3, rue Maurice Audin, 69518 Vaulx-en-Velin, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Clément
authors.affiliation: Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France; Institut Universitaire de France, 103, bd Saint-Michel, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.affiliation: Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon; Université Lyon 1; CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France. Electronic address: dominique.lamonica@entpe.fr.
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D029064:Araceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001681:Biological Assay; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D017753:Ecosystem; D058086:Microalgae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013045:Species Specificity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium
keywords: Bayesian inference; Cadmium; Interspecific competition; Lemna minor; Model-guided experiments; Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata