Functional group (ecology)

In ecology, functional groups are collections of organisms based on morphological, physiological, behavioral, biochemical, environmental responses or on trophic criteria.

In ocean biogeochemical modelling, the following four criteria have been proposed :

• That the collection of organisms, called a plankton function type (PFT), should have an explicit biogeochemical role
• that the PFT should be defined by a distinct set of physiological, environmental, or nutrient requirements controlling its biomass and productivity,
• that the behavior of the PFT should have distinct effects on the performance of other PFTs, for instance, through selective depletion of nutrients or grazing, and
• that the PFT should be of quantitative importance in at least some region of the ocean.

External links

• PlankTOM, an ecosystem model of ocean biogeochemistry