6533b822fe1ef96bd127d631
RESEARCH PRODUCT
The Ecology of Ostracoda Across Levels of Biological Organisation from Individual to Ecosystem
Finn ViehbergAlison J. SmithFrancesc Mesquita-joanessubject
Ecological nicheAbiotic componentEcologymedia_common.quotation_subjectEcology (disciplines)EcosystemEcological successionPopulation ecologyBiologyBiological organisationCompetition (biology)media_commondescription
Abstract Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic applications of fossil ostracods rely on a uniformitarian approach underpinned by knowledge of the biology and ecology of living species. This review reveals that in recent decades, major advances have been made in the understanding of species’ abiotic niches in relation to their preferences for different water chemistries and temperatures. However, the underlying ecophysiological mechanisms for such preferences are still largely unknown. Only a few works analyse in detail aspects of population growth or species interactions (competition, predation) in the framework of classical ecological theories. Similarly, the role of Ostracoda in the assembly and functioning of aquatic biological communities is just starting to be recognised. We finally stress the relevance of Quaternary research on ostracod palaeoecology for testing ecological theories of community succession and dynamics in the long term, which may provide answers that standard ecological studies on living communities cannot, due to an inappropriate timescale.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-01-01 |