Connectivity and nutrient enrichment affect the productivity and stability of aquatic meta-ecosystems

Despite major human impacts on aquatic connectivity (e.g. channelization, damming) and on nutrient inputs (e.g. agriculture, sewage), empirical studies on the combined impacts of these effects are rare. To better understand the interactive role of connectivity and nutrient enrichment in shaping meta-ecosystem stability, we set up a mesocosm experiment mimicking a minimal meta-ecosystem composed of two ponds (upstream and downstream). The upstream pond received varying water volumes from a mesotrophic lake (ranging from 0 to 40 % mesocosm volume per week), and five levels of nutrient enrichment (phosphorus and nitrogen). The experiment featured a fractional factorial design, with 13 unique treatment combinations monitored over 14.5 weeks. We found that connectivity increased phytoplankton biomass in highly nutrient-enriched meta-ecosystems, that connectivity and nutrient enrichment independently promoted synchrony and spatial homogeneity of phytoplankton biomass within metaecoystsems, an..., , , # Data from: Connectivity and nutrient enrichment affect the productivity and stability of aquatic meta-ecosystems

DOI: 10.5061/dryad.zs7h44jjx

Data from an experiment where 1000 L plastic mesocosms (ponds) were filled with water from a mesotrophic lake. The lake water was piped into a ~100,000 L reservoir near the experimental site, and was sampled at the same time as the ponds. The ponds were grouped into meta-ecosystems, each containing one or two ponds. Most meta-ecosystems were composed of two ponds, with different levels of connectivity (also referred to as Movement in the code and data) between the upstream and downstream.

Every week, a pre-determined percentage of the pond volume (10, 20, 30, or 40 %) was emptied from the downstream pond, moved from the upstream to downstream pond, and used to refill the upstream pond with lake water. In the code and data, the upstream and downstream is often coded as Node 1 and 2, respectively. A control connectivity (0 %) was also included ...,