16_01_2019_discussion.txt

Ideas from discussion of 16_01_2019

Hellweger et al., Science 2014 (Biogeographic patterns in ocean microbes emerge in a neutral agent-based model, doi:10.1126/science.1254421)
showed the impact of neutral evolution in the emergence of global biogeographical patterns
Questions: What is the impact of topdown (grazing), bottomup (nutrient availability) and selection on these patterns
Create a null model of phytoplankton
- Vary the death rate of phytoplankton cells (proxy of top down control (grazing) or bottom up (nutrient))

Create a model of prey-predator (topdown control)
- Grazing depending on a genetic model:
  - DNA genome sequence divided in 3 parts:
      - neutral part (non coding sequence) (1)
      - dependency of reproduction on temperature (eg normal distribution fitness function with different optimums (means)) (2)
      - size preference of prey (fitness function) (3)
      - (2) and (3) are submitted to selection
- Genetic model for phytoplankton?


Other features proposed:
- lag before grazing capacity of predators (eg 2 weeks ~ copepods)
- superindividuals for phytoplankton?