Data from: Nonlinear averaging of thermal experience predicts population growth rates in a thermally variable environment

With experimental populations of the green alga Tetraselmis tetrahele, we show that nonlinear averaging techniques accurately predicted increased as well as decreased population growth rates influctuating thermal regimes relative to constant thermal regimes. We extrapolate from these results to project critical temperatures for population growth and persistence of 89 phytoplankton species in naturally variable thermal environments.

These results advance our ability to predict population dynamics in the context of global change.

Usage notes

Population abundances over time Population abundances of Tetraselmis tetrahele grown over an experimental temperature gradient in constant and fluctuating thermal regimes (i.e. fluctuations of 5 degrees celcius up and down around mean temperatures) in the O'Connor Lab at the University of British Columbia. abundances_over_time.csv