Optimal life cycle schedule of heteromorphic macroalgae, as adaptations to a seasonal environment
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Macroalgea (seaweeds) show diverse life cycles. Especially notable is the difference between heteromorphic life cycle and isomorphic cycle. Species with heteromorphic life cycle have a large-sized multicellular algal body in one generation but have a microscopic-sized algal body in the other generation of a year. Here we developed mathematical models for the life cycle in the environment where mortality changes seasonally. Where we assumed that growth rate of large-sized generation decrease with increasing of total biomass by competition for light, or settlement success rate decrease by competition for space. We first discuss the optimal life cycle schedule for a heteromorphic species that achieves the maximum population growth rate. Secondly, we discuss the optimal life cycle schedule in the model with density dependence. |
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