Mixotrophs generate carbon tipping points under warming

• DOI: 10.22541/au.166012215.52690758/v1
• Publication Date: 2022-08-10T09:02:37Z
• Authors: Daniel Wieczynski; Holly Moeller; Jean-Philippe Gibert
• Keywords: Mixotroph; Autotroph; Carbon sink; Alternative stable state; Carbon fibers

Mixotrophs are ubiquitous and integral to microbial food webs, but their impacts on the dynamics functioning of broader ecosystems largely unresolved. Here, we show that mixotrophy produces a unique, dynamic type web module exhibits unusual ecological dynamics, with surprising consequences for carbon flux under warming. We find mixotrophs generate alternative stable states across temperatures—including an autotrophy-dominant sink state, heterotrophy-dominant source cycling between these two. Moreover, warming always shifts this mixotrophic system from state increasing nutrients erases early warning signals transition expands hysteresis. This suggests can critical tipping points will be more abrupt less reversible when combined increased nutrient levels, having widespread implications ecosystem in face rapid global change.