Reti trofiche e flussi di energia nei sistemi a fanerogame marine

Abstract

Food webs and energy flow in seagrass ecosystems. A review on the pathways in the food webs of seagrass ecosystems, both tropical and temperate, with a particular emphasis to Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica meadows is given. Three main pathways of energy transfer from primary producers (host plant and algal epiphytes) were identified: i) the plant itself through photosynthetic tissue; ii) the leaf detritus which in some species forms a litter compartment; iii) the algal epiphytes of leaf blades. The detritus and epiphyte ways are the most common, but they can be differently important according to the season and the spatial patterns of the meadows.     

Functional morphology of the anchorage system and food scrapers of a hillstream fish, Garra lamta (Ham.) (Cyprinidae, Cypriniformes)

The functional morphology of the anchorage system and food scrapers of a hillstream fish, Garra lamta (Ham.) is described in relation to their role in the swift water current of the hillstreams (Ranchi, Bihar, India).     

Growth and survival of tadpoles (Bufo americanus) fed amorphous detritus derived from natural waters

Growth and survival of tadpoles (Bufo americanus) were used to assess the food value of three types of amorphous detritus thought to be derived from dissolved organic matter (DOM) transported in river water or groundwater: 1. Flocculent organic aggregates suspended at the mouth of a humic stained river which drains into Lake Superior; 2. Precipitates formed directly from humic stained river water; 3. The < 35 m fraction of littoral lake sediment. Tadpoles were unable to grow when fed the amorphous detritus, but experienced lower mortality than unfed animals. Although the food quality of certain types of detritus derived from DOM may be inadequate to support the growth of aquatic fine particle feeders it may contribute to the nutrition of facultative detritivores.     

Detrital feeding in natural zooplankton communities: Discrimination between live and dead algal foods

Freshwater zooplankton species differ in their consumption of live and dead algal cells when tested in situ. Using isotopically-labeled living and heat-killed Chlamydomonas reinhardti as models for phytoplankton and detrital seston, respectively, we tested differential feeding on these foods by 3 rotifers and 2 microcrustaceans. Keratella cochlearis selectively feeds on detrital materials while 2 sympatric rotifer species, Conochilus dossuarius and Kellicottia bostoniensis show no ability to discriminate between the living and dead foods. Both the copepod Diaptomus spatulocrenatus and a cladoceran, Bosmina sp., differentially consume living cells.     

UV-B irradiance gradient affects photosynthesis and pigments but not food quality of periphyton

• 1 This laboratory study examined the effect of a gradient of UV‐B radiation (280–320 nm) on photosynthesis and food quality of periphyton, the trophic base of many freshwater benthic communities. Four irradiances of UV‐B (0, 0.6, 1.2, and 2.3 W m^‐2) were delivered by UV‐B lamps (313 nm peak irradiance) over a 13‐day period in the first experiment and over a 4‐h period in the second experiment. These irradiances were roughly equivalent to 0, 1, 2, and 4 times the ambient biologically effective (DNA) midsummer, midday UV‐B irradiance in Tennessee.
• 2 Rates of photosynthesis and photosynthetic pigments were significantly reduced by irradiances greater than ambient during the 13‐day experiment, suggesting that food supply rates to grazers would be depressed by increases in current UV‐B levels. Effects on community structure were minor, but mean diatom cell size decreased at higher UV‐B irradiances.
• 3 Irradiated periphyton was fed in surplus to juvenile snails (Physella gyrina) in the first experiment as a bioassay for food quality. Snail growth was the same on all four diets, suggesting that UV‐B did not affect food quality. Nitrogen and phosphorus content of the periphyton were not affected by UV‐B, either.
• 4 Photosynthesis by low‐biomass periphyton in the second experiment was significantly depressed by irradiances above ambient after only 4 h. Photosynthesis by the high biomass periphyton was not significantly affected by UV‐B, suggesting that self‐shading reduced UV‐B effects.

     

带岭林区马鹿冬季食性研究

1985-1987年在黑龙江省带岭林区,使用粪便显微组织学分析技术井结合野外啃食调查,对马魔冬季食性进行了研究。结果表明,杨,桦,柳,紫椴是其主要的冬季食物(46.9% ,19.1% , 9.7%、 8.3% )。马鹿对杨、柳、青楷槭有正选择性,对桦、紫椴、刺老芽、接骨木有负选择性．马鹿对它们选择性的强弱顺序为：青槽槭>柳>杨>接骨木>刺者芽>紫椴>桦。被啃食植物中半纤维素的含量和马鹿对它们的选择性之间存在着一定的负相关关系。冬季马鹿并不缺乏蛋白质,而能量对越冬的马鹿可能是一个较为关键的因子。     

Carbon steady-state model of the planktonic food web of Lake Biwa, Japan

1. A steady‐state model of carbon flows was developed to describe the summer planktonic food web in the surface mixed‐layer of the North Basin in Lake Biwa, Japan. This model synthesised results from numerous studies on the plankton of Lake Biwa. 2. An inverse analysis procedure was used to estimate missing flow values in a manner consistent with known information. Network analysis was applied to characterise emergent properties of the resulting food web. 3. The system strongly relied on flows related to detrital particles. Whereas primary production was mainly by phytoplankton >20 μm, microzooplankton were active and mainly ingested detritus and bacteria. 4. The main emergent property of the system was strong recycling, through either direct ingestion of non‐living material by zooplankton, or ingestion of bacteria after degradation of detritus to release dissolved organic carbon.     

The concomitant existence of a typical coastal and a detritus food chain in the Westerschelde estuary

Until now studies of the aquatic ecology of the Westerschelde estuary have been erratic. Yet, from the results of a literature research some structural aspects of the ecosystems in the Westerschelde could be derived.Clear gradients could be found from the river to the sea for the abiotic as well as for the biotic features of the estuary. On the basis of the available quantitative data 2 tentative food chains were distinguished; a mainly detritus-based food chain in the upstream brackish part and a coastal food chain in the downstream seaward part. The centre of the area of the detritus food chain coincided with the zone of a turbidity maximum at the interface of salt and fresh water. This food chain is characterized by a low primary production but a year-round high concentration of suspended organic matter. The suspended organic matter consists of aggregates of detritus and bacteria. The zooplankton as well as the zoobenthos can reach high biomasses. The coastal food chain is mainly based on a seasonally chainging high primary production. The diversity of flora and fauna in this system is much higher than in the detritus food chain, although the biomass can be lower.Communication no. 404 of the Delta Institute, Yerseke.     

The importance of the littoral epiphyton as food for commercial fish in the recent African man-made lake, Nyumba ya Mungu reservoir, Tanzania

Nyumba ya Mungu reservoir is a man-made lake in the Kilimanjaro region of northern Tanzania. The commercial fisheries are principally based on the cichlids, Sarotherodon pangani Lowe, S. jipe Lowe, S. esculentus Graham, and Tilapia rendalli Boulenger.
Examination of gut contents revealed that the dominant species, S. pangani and S. jipe , fed on the epiphyton attached to the vegetation in the littoral zone, S. esculentus was a phytoplankton filter feeder, and T. rendalli consumed macrophytes and associated epiphytes.
A fish exclosure quantitatively demonstrated that the epiphyton community was appreciably depleted by the grazing of fish. After 35 days the mean epiphyton density on the submerged surfaces of Cyperus articulatus L. within the exclosure was 285 times 10³ individuals cm^-2 shoot, but only 181 times 10³ individuals cm^-2 shoot on grazed surfaces outside the exclosure. The differences were statistically significant, and corresponded to a difference in biomass of about 6.5 g organic dry weight m^-2 lake surface. Vertical profiles of periphyton density on Cyperus indicated that fish grazed mainly below a depth of 100 mm from the water surface.
The littoral epiphyton → commercial fish food chain, which may be unique, is considered to predominate in Nyumba ya Mungu, and is compared with the major food chains of commercial fish in some other African natural and man-made lakes.     

Relative availability and utilization of algae in two subarctic rivers

The ash free dry weight of algae in the plankton, epilithon and gut of predominant herbivores was determined between June 1975 and July 1976 in 2 subarctic Canadian rivers (Baker Creek, Yellowknife River). Algae usually represented < 1% of suspended solids in both rivers and up to 8o% of material attached to rocks. While they were never found in the gut of rotifers and copepod nauplii in Baker Creek, they accounted for 0.5% of the contents of the planktonic conchostracon Lynceus brachyurus. Due to the inpalatable colonial structure of most attached algal species, the zoobenthos (mainly mayfly nymphs) contained only a few cells. Size selection against large fragments of detritus resulted in increased consumption of algae (5–13%) by Simulium venustum, S. decorum and S. arcticum. In the Yellowknife River, Diaptomus ashlandi (CIII–CVI stages) and Holopedium gibberum contained only a few (30–50) algal cells during summer. Because of size selection, large algae were not ingested by these species. The inpalatability of colonial algae greatly reduced consumption in the predominant zoobenthic species, Ephemerella coxalis and E. margarita. While all species digested diatoms, the Chlorophyta usually passed through the gut unharmed. It is concluded that algae are not an important energy source for invertebrates in either stream.     

The food of bream (Abramis brama L.) in two basins of Lake Balaton of different trophic status

Contrary to earlier observations the food composition of bream (Abramis brama L.) in Lake Balaton has changed in parallel with eutrophication. These changes were probably caused by increased population density and connected with density dependent growth as well as sharpened inter- and intraspecific competition in the cyprinid community. According to the frequency of occurrence, zooplankton followed by benthic invertebrates comprised the majority of the bream's food. By weight, however, benthic food dominated in both basins. Size-related dietary changes were pronounced, but statistically not always significant, suggesting the overall importance of the most abundant and available prey types. Bream did not strongly select any of the zooplankton groups, however, seasonal changes in food composition alternated in parallel with the trophic gradient along the longitudinal axis of the lake.     

32Phosphorus transfer in systems of fish and amphipods exploiting detritus particles

Detrital size preferences of the fish Mugil sp. and the amphipod Echinogammarus veneris were determined in the laboratory by ³²P. Three different size-classes of leaf-detritus particles, inoculated with a fungus, were offered separately in 24-h experiments. Detritus ³²P increased with particle size, depending on the growth of microflora. Both species preferred the largest size-class. In mixed-species experiments, ³²P uptake by Mugil was significantly less than when it was alone. A similar ³²P transfer was measured in Mugil fed on the largest particles, previously utilized by E. veneris. This indicates that the feeding activity of the amphipod indirectly affects the detrital utilization by Mugil sp. It is suggested that the influence might depend on the microbial impoverishment and the change in the particle size.     

On characteristics of the Peruvian upwelling ecosystem

Energy relations in the area of upwelling along the coast of Peru have been investigated and compared with those in tropical oceanic waters elsewhere. The special role of microplankton and of the detritus type of food web is emphasized. A certain similarity between developing phytoplankton in a region of upwelling and in a continuous laboratory culture is pointed out. Schemes of energy fluxes are presented, evaluating the comparative importance of components of the community.A comparison between the ATP-method of estimating microbial biomass and the direct microscopic method is also given and intercalibrations indicated.