Zooplankton trophic structure and ecosystem productivity

Research Article: Trophic dynamics analysis and ecosystem structure for some fish species of northern Oman Sea

In the present study, a trophic structure model for some fish species of the northern Oman Sea is developed through using mass balance modeling software, Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE). In this model, we simulated 16 functional groups spread across an area of 3998.20 km2 from 2017 to 2018. Mean trophic level in the area of the present study was 3.49. Values calculated for system omnivory and connect...

Producer Nutritional Quality Controls Ecosystem Trophic Structure

Trophic structure, or the distribution of biomass among producers and consumers, determines key ecosystem values, such as the abundance of infectious, harvestable or conservation target species, and the storage and cycling of carbon and nutrients. There has been much debate on what controls ecosystem trophic structure, yet the answer is still elusive. Here we show that the nutritional quality o...

Ecosystem regime shifts disrupt trophic structure.

Regime shifts between alternative stable ecosystem states are becoming commonplace due to the combined effects of local stressors and global climate change. Alternative states are characterized as substantially different in form and function from pre-disturbance states, disrupting the delivery of ecosystem services and functions. On coral reefs, regime shifts are typically characterized by a ch...

Trophic structure and community stability in an overfished ecosystem.

Since the collapse of the pelagic fisheries off southwest Africa in the late 1960s, jellyfish biomass has increased and the structure of the Benguelan fish community has shifted, making the bearded goby (Sufflogobius bibarbatus) the new predominant prey species. Despite increased predation pressure and a harsh environment, the gobies are thriving. Here we show that physiological adaptations and...

Zooplankton Abundance, Biomass and Trophic State in Some Venezuelan Reservoirs