Integrative trophic network assessments of a lentic ecosystem by key ecological approaches of water chemistry, trophic guilds, and ecosystem health assessments along with an ECOPATH model

Jeong-Ho Han, Hema K. Kumar, Jae Hoon Lee, Chang-Ik Zhang, Se-Wha Kim, Jung-Ho Lee, Sang Don Kim and Kwang-Guk An

Ecological Modelling, 2011, vol. 222, issue 19, 3457-3472

Abstract: The objective of this study was to describe the trophic structure and energy flow in a lentic ecosystem in South Korea. Physicochemical water conditions were evaluated along with the reservoir ecosystem health using a multimetric IBI model. Nutrient analyses of the reservoir showed a nutrient rich and hypereutrophic system. Guild analysis revealed that tolerant and omnivorous species dominated the ecosystem. Tolerant fish, as a proportion of the number of individuals, were associated (R2>0.90, p<0.01) with TN and TP, the key indicators of trophic state in lentic ecosystems. The mean Reservoir Ecosystem Health Assessment (REHA) score was 19.3 during the study, which was judged as in ‘fair to poor’ condition. A trophic analysis of the reservoir estimated by the ECOPATH model shows that most activity in terms of energy flow occurred in the lower part of the trophic web, where there was intensive use of primary producers as a food source. Consequently, of the 10 consumer groups, nine fell within trophic levels <2.8. Trophic levels (TL) estimated from the weighted average of prey trophic levels varied from 1.0 for phytoplankton, macrophytes, and detritus to 3.25 for the top predator, Pseudobagrus fulvidraco. Our integrated approach to trophic network analysis may provide a key tool for determining the effects of nutrient influx on energy flow pathways in lentic ecosystems.

Keywords: Trophic network; Energy flow; Lentic ecosystem; Ecosystem health assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380011004182
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:222:y:2011:i:19:p:3457-3472

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.08.001

Access Statistics for this article

Ecological Modelling is currently edited by Brian D. Fath

More articles in Ecological Modelling from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().