A trait‐based approach predicting community assembly and dominance of microbial invasive species

Understanding the mechanisms underlying community assembly helps to define success and susceptibility to biological invasions. A methodological approach to this aim is to use trait-based approaches. Under the hypothesis that the morphology-based functional groups (MBFG) clusters species with similar niche we analyse how trait-related differences in fitness influence the outcome of invasion. The invasive dinoflagellate Ceratium furcoides (CF) can be used as the model species considering its morphological (e.g. volume) and physiological traits (e.g. growth rates) comparing with species from the same (MBFG V) and different (MBFG VII: colonial cyanobacteria) MBFG. Here we present the information needed to apply this approach with similar or different questions including information from two aquatic environments from South America: the first one located in Argentina (Miní flood-plain Lake) and the second one in Uruguay (Salto Grande Reservoir). Phytoplankton morphological traits measured from field samples, along with richness, abundance, biovolume and environmental variables are presented. Phytoplankton individuals and species are classified in terms of MBFG and focus on the invasive species Ceratium furcoides. The literature derived information includes growth rates with temperature for phytoplankton species classified in MBFG V including Ceratium furcoides.