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Seasonal timing of reproduction in the bivalve Macoma balthica : a model study of fitness consequences. NVTB 2008 Jaap van der Meer. Question. Timing of reproduction: Make sure the larvae can grow up under optimal food conditions Spawn just before the spring bloom Many species don’t do this
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Seasonal timing of reproduction in the bivalve Macoma balthica: a model study of fitness consequences NVTB 2008 Jaap van der Meer
Question • Timing of reproduction: Make sure the larvae can grow up under optimal food conditions • Spawn just before the spring bloom • Many species don’t do this • An why should they? • Alternative rule: Make sure the bloom occurs at the size of maximum growth
System • Semi-chemostat • Seasonal pattern in food concentration of inflowing water • Seasonal pattern in temperature • Standard DEB model • Macoma balthica parameters as estimated by Van der Veer et al. (2006) • R extremely small: 0.012%; background mortality • One spawning event per year
Adaptive dynamics • Introduce a mutant that has no effect on the (food) environment, and see whether it can invade • In a k-year cycle of the resident, mutants are introduced during each of k succeeding years • In one run, three types of mutants were introduced: the first group spawns slightly earlier, the second group does as the residents, the last group spawns slightly later
Preliminary conclusion • Stable strategy: spawn exactly half a year before the food peak
Next steps • Present survival rule: [E]/[Em] > L/Lm • Resorption of reproductive material • Low R • A-symmetric interference, which decreases the competitive ability of the youngsters