Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits

Fig 4. Phenotypic heterogeneity persists whereas invariability can be eliminated. Three rounds of competition are simulated for two strategies. Probability distributions of strategies are illustrated on the right with individuals (n) represented by color coded circles. Here the invariant strategy (top, blue), characterized by lack of variability and a constant competitive ability equal to the mean, is eliminated by the Lake Wobegon strategy (bottom, red), characterized by one individual with 0 competitive ability and all others are ‘above average’ (mean+x for a small x > 0). This and the following figures show few individuals for clarity but simulations utilized larger sample sizes for accurate representation of the probability distributions of competitive abilities. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254799.g004 Fig 5. Phenotypic heterogeneity co-exists with the strategy that defeats invariant. In the same type of three time-step competition as in Fig 4, the Lake Wobegon strategy that defeats invariant coexists with an equilibrium strategy (top, multicolored). Note the rainbow color range for the equilibrium strategy reflects its maximal phenotypic variability. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254799.g005 PLOS ONE Biodiversity of marine microbes is safeguarded by phenotypic heterogeneity in ecological traits PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254799 August 4, 2021 9 / 18