胶州湾生物-物理耦合模型参数灵敏度分析

参数灵敏度分析旨在评价模型中各参数对模拟结果的影响程度,是参数优化和模型校正的基础步骤,也是认识模型行为的重要工具。所建的胶州湾生物-物理耦合模型包括浮游植物、浮游动物、营养盐、碎屑和溶解氧5类状态变量,对其涉及的50个参数进行灵敏度分析,得到3个非常灵敏性参数、2个灵敏性参数、11个比较灵敏性参数和34个不太灵敏性参数。非常灵敏及灵敏性参数包括浮游植物生长速率(μPRPC)、暗反应修正因子(FAC)、光饱和强度(α)、浮游植物死亡率(μDEPC)和水体消光系数(bla),主要影响浮游植物生长和死亡过程,反映了浮游植物在生态系统中的基础性和重要性作用。这5个参数显著地影响碳和营养盐循环,是整个胶州湾生态系统最主要的影响参数,应优先进行优化。比较灵敏性参数的影响主要表现在营养盐对浮游植物生长或死亡的限制以及温度对光饱和量的限制,浮游动物生长、牧食和死亡过程以及浮游植物生物量对牧食的限制,叶绿素a的生产,缺氧条件下沉积物释放磷以及浮游植物对磷的摄取等过程,这些参数对于各状态变量的灵敏性存在不同程度的差异,从而表征不同的特点。与不太灵敏性参数相关的过程主要为叶绿素a和碎屑消光作用,温度对浮游植物生长、浮游动物牧食、碎屑和沉积物矿化的限制,碎屑和沉积物矿化与沉降,与无机氮相关的大部分过程,溶解氧浓度变化等,这些过程除了受模型内部参数影响外,还在很大程度上受水深、海水温度和陆源污染等外部因素影响。比较灵敏及不太灵敏性参数影响模型局部过程,是模型校正的重要依据,除了非常灵敏及灵敏性参数以外,叶绿素a、浮游动物、碎屑和无机磷四种状态变量可分别根据叶绿素a最大生产系数(K CHmax)、浮游动物一级死亡率(μDEZC1)、有机碎屑矿化率(μREDC)和浮游植物磷摄取的半饱和常数(h UPPP)进行校正。与营养盐相关参数的灵敏度分析表明,胶州湾浮游植物处于磷限制,无机氮主要受陆源排污影响。因此,对无机氮的校正主要通过合理设置沿岸河流径流量或陆源污染物浓度与比例以及无机氮初始场。溶解氧对各参数均不太灵敏。     

北部湾北部海域夏季微型浮游动物对浮游植物的摄食压力

2011年8月份于北部湾北部海域5个观测站位获得的分层水样,分析了表层叶绿素a含量和表层微型浮游动物丰度以及类群组成;同时于现场采用稀释培养法研究了该海域浮游植物生长率(μ)和微型浮游动物的摄食率(g)。分析和测定结果表明:调查海区的微型浮游动物丰度400—1167个/L,类群组成以无壳纤毛虫为主;浮游植物的生长率为-1.50—1.13 d-1,微型浮游动物摄食率为0.33—1.08 d-1;推算微型浮游动物对浮游植物现存量以及初级生产力的摄食压力分别为28.1%—66.0%和-7.4%—438.4%。相对于中国其他海区,8月份北部湾北部海域微型浮游动物摄食速率处于中等水平。调查期间,广西沿海高生产力海区,浮游植物生长率大于微型浮游动物动物的摄食率,浮游植物生物量处于积累期;涠洲岛以南海域,浮游植物生产力较低,微型浮游动物摄食作用是控制浮游植物生长的重要因素。     

南海台风引发藻华的生物机制

海洋浮游植物的生长和小型浮游动物的摄食,与温度、光照和营养盐等因素密切相关。中国南海海盆是层化结构稳定的寡营养海,然而每年台风过后都有大量藻华的报道。为了探究台风引发藻华的生物形成机制,通过南海海域表层和次表层叶绿素最大层(DCM)中的小型浮游动物的摄食活动以及浮游植物对光照和营养响应的现场实验,探究小型浮游动物摄食、光照和营养对海洋浮游植物生长和群落结构的调控作用。实验表明:1)表层水体中的小型浮游动物摄食速率明显大于DCM层;小型浮游动物摄食在表层水体中以大粒级的浮游植物(5μm)为主,在DCM层中没有明显粒级选择;自然光中的紫外线能增加小型浮游动物的摄食;营养盐添加轻微降低小型浮游动物的摄食。2)营养盐和光照的增强显著促进DCM层浮游植物的生长,并增加大粒级浮游植物的占比;而光照和营养盐变化对表层浮游植物的生长和粒级结构的改变相对不明显。因此,相对表层,深层浮游植物面临较小的摄食压力,拥有更大的光照和营养盐需求潜能;当台风引发水体垂向混合后,获得营养盐补充的表层浮游植物并不能迅速生长,而获得充足光照的深层浮游植物能迅速生长,成为藻华爆发的优势种。     

南沙群岛邻近海区春夏季浮游植物多样性研究

1999年春季和夏季对南沙海区网采浮游植物分布与多样性进行了调查。 1999年春季渚碧礁湖观测站及春、夏季大面站的浮游植物细胞数量平均值分别为 2 .4 9× 10 4cells/m3 、0 .73× 10 4cells/m3 和 1.0 3× 10 4cells/m3 。1999年春季在渚碧礁湖共采到浮游植物 2 6属 5 1种 ,大面站 31属 10 9种 ;夏季大面站共检出 38属 172种。海区大面站春季、夏季浮游植物Shannon Wiener多样性指数平均值分别为 4 .35和 4 .0 1;春季渚碧礁浮游植物多样性指数为 2 .92 ,低于外部开阔海域。南沙海区浮游植物的分布与水文、营养盐、浮游动物的摄食等均有一定的关系     

模拟浮游生物的季节变化

本文讨论了海洋中光合作用过程和计算光合作用的速率方程。运用垂直平均值的浮游生物模型研究了在一个固定站和扩展湾流体系中,浮游植物、浮游动物和营养盐的季节变化。结果表明,夹卷过程将含营养盐丰富的中层水带入了混合层,从而导致浮游植物的生长;摸式较好地给出了扩展湾流体系中的水华季,基本上得到了浮游生物的生活周期。使用不同的参数值进行了若干实验,并对结果进行了讨论。     

瓯江口春季营养盐、浮游植物和浮游动物的分布

研究2007年4月瓯江口海域(27°38′～28°02′N、120°50′～121°14′E)浮游生物空间分布特征,分析这一分布特征与营养盐和其他水文要素之间的联系.结果表明,悬浮物浓度、DIP和DIN分布特征均是近河口最高,由近河口向外数量逐渐减少.在灵昆岛南侧和东南侧近口门水域,是DIP和DIN的高值中心,但该水域高浓度悬沙使水体透光率较低,不利于浮游植物生长.在口门外侧海域,悬沙浓度已经明显降低,因而是浮游植物高密度区域.浮游植物和浮游动物丰度分布趋势基本相同,由内海向外海数量逐渐递减;其中,大型浮游动物丰度和浮游植物丰度,小型浮游动物丰度和浮游植物丰度之间显著地呈线性正相关关系.这一特征的形成,主要由瓯江口营养盐和悬浮物分布特征决定,浮游动物与浮游植物空间分布的一致性,很好地反映出浮游动物对浮游植物有效的下行控制,从而使水域生态系统在此季节保持稳定.     

南海北部浮游植物生长对营养盐的响应

2004年夏季作者在南海北部海域研究了浮游植物生长的营养动力学,结合物理-化学过程对浮游植物生物量分布的影响与机制进行了研究,阐明了水平对流和中尺度涡对营养盐分布的影响及浮游植物生长和现存生物量对其的响应。受西南季风和东向沿岸流作用所形成的Ekman输送的影响,南海北部海岸带表层海水作离岸运动,使深层富含营养盐的冷水爬坡涌升到表层来补充,激发浮游植物生物量迅速增长。海区反气旋涡使海水辐聚下沉,造成水体具高温、低盐、高溶解氧浓度、低营养盐浓度和低浮游植物生物量。同时通过现场营养盐加富试验,发现该海域营养盐是浮游植物生长的主要限制因子,而且是多种营养元素共同限制了浮游植物的生长,添加单一的营养盐并不能促进浮游植物的生长。在生物量出现增长的试验组中,营养盐添加不仅促使浮游植物生物量的增长,而且也改变了浮游植物的粒级结构和群落结构。例如,在站S1008,培养前叶绿素a浓度为0.28 mg.m-3,加富培养60 h后浮游植物生物量在NP和NPSi的试验组中有显著的增加,叶绿素a浓度分别达1.07 mg.m-3和1.19 mg.m-3;培养前粒度分级叶绿素a主要以Pico级份占优势,而加富试验结束后,在NP和NPSi的试验组以Nano级份占优势,其它试验组仍以Pico级份占优势;同时,在培养后生物量出现增长的试验组,浮游植物群落的优势类群从甲藻向硅藻演替。     

流溪河水库的盔形滔和舌状叶镖水蚤对浮游植物的牧食影响研究

盔形涵Daphnia galeata和舌状叶镖Phyllodiaptomus tunguidus是流溪河水库的两种大型的滤食物性的浮游动物,Ptunguidus也是中国特有种,他们的牧食直接影响浮游植物种类组成和群落结构。为了解这两种浮游动物在自然水体中对浮游植物牧食的作用及营养盐水平对牧食作用的影响,将D．galeata和Ptunguidus以4．4ind．L^-1的密度,分别在两个营养水平（不添加与添加营养盐）中用4．5L的透明塑料瓶培养10天（2008年3月28-4月8日）。在不添加营养盐的实验中,水样为用64um孔径的筛绢过滤后的水库水,在添加营养盐的实验中,为过滤后的水样再加入KH2P04和NaNO3,使TN：TP=16：1（TN=34．86μmol·L^-1,TP=2．18μmol·L^-1）。10天后,计数和分析浮游植物四个粒径级别（〈20μm,20—30μm,30．50μm,〉50μm）和各门类及优势种类的生物量组成,比较两组动物在两种营养状态中对浮游植物生物量的影响。在不添加营养盐的实验中,两种浮游动物对浮游植物总生物量的抑制均不明显,但〈30μm的浮游植物生物量均下降,且D．galeata处理组中,小于20μm的浮游植物生物量低于Ptunguidus处理组,Ptunguidus处理组中20-30μm的浮游植物生物量低于D．galeata组,说明两种浮游动物对〈30Ixm的浮游植物均有抑制作用,但D．galeata对〈20μm的浮游植物抑制强于Ptunguidus而Ptunguidus对20．30μm的浮游植物抑制强于D．galeata。在添加营养盐的实验中,营养盐对浮游植物生物量,尤其对〈20μm的浮游植物生物量的促进作用明显。但两种浮游动物对浮游植物的抑制作用在不同种类之间产生差异。Dgaleataa处理组的浮游植物总生物量明显高于Ptunguidus组,表明Ptunguidus对浮游植物的抑制作用强于Dgaleata。Dgaleata处理组中,蓝藻生物量比例（15％）远低于绿藻（41％）和硅藻（37％）,但在Ptunguidus组蓝藻生物量比例（36％）远高于绿藻（18％）和硅藻（32％）,与不添加营养盐实验的t检验表明Dgaleata对绿藻和蓝藻抑制明显,而Ptunguidus对绿藻和硅藻的抑制明显（t-test,p〉0．05）。Dgaleata对衣藻chlamydomonassp．,绿球藻chlorococcumsp．,单细胞蓝藻抑制作用明显,而Ptunguidus对小球藻chlorellasp．,衣藻chlamydomonassp．,绿球藻chlorococcumsp．,小环藻cyclotellasp．,曲壳藻achnanthessp．,针杆藻Synedrasp．的抑制明显。实验结果表明两种浮游动物影响不同的浮游植物种类,对浮游植物的群落结构的影响具有差异。     

流溪河水库的盔形溞和舌状叶镖水蚤对浮游植物的牧食影响研究(英文)

盔形溞 Daphnia galeata 和舌状叶镖 Phyllodiaptomus tunguidus 是流溪河水库的两种大型的滤食物性的浮游动物,P. tunguidus 也是中国特有种,他们的牧食直接影响浮游植物种类组成和群落结构。为了解这两种浮游动物在自然水体中对浮游植物牧食的作用及营养盐水平对牧食作用的影响,将 D. galeata 和 P. tunguidus 以 4.4 ind.L-1 的密度,分别在两个营养水平(不添加与添加营养盐)中用 4.5L 的透明塑料瓶培养 10 天(2008 年 3 月 28-4 月 8 日)。在不添加营养盐的实验中,水样为用 64um 孔径的筛绢过滤后的水库水,在添加营养盐的实验中,为过滤后的水样再加入 KH2PO4 和 NaNO3,使 TN:TP=16:1(TN=34.86 μ mol?L-1,TP=2.18 μ mol?L-1)。10 天后,计数和分析浮游植物四个粒径级别(<20μm, 20-30μm, 30-50μm, >50μm)和各门类及优势种类的生物量组成,比较两组动物在两种营养状态中对浮游植物生物量的影响。在不添加营养盐的实验中,两种浮游动物对浮游植物总生物量的抑制均不明显,但<30μm的浮游植物生物量均下降,且 D. galeata 处理组中,小于 20μm的浮游植物生物量低于 P. tunguidus 处理组,P. tunguidus 处理组中20-30μm的浮游植物生物量低于 D. galeata 组,说明两种浮游动物对<30μm的浮游植物均有抑制作用,但 D. galeata 对<20μm的浮游植物抑制强于 P. tunguidus 而 P. tunguidus 对 20-30μm的浮游植物抑制强于 D. galeata。在添加营养盐的实验中,营养盐对浮游植物生物量,尤其对<20μm的浮游植物生物量的促进作用明显。但两种浮游动物对浮游植物的抑制作用在不同种类之间产生差异。D. galeataa 处理组的浮游植物总生物量明显高于P. tunguidus 组,表明P. tunguidus 对浮游植物的抑制作用强于D. galeata。D. galeata 处理组中,蓝藻生物量比例(15%)远低于绿藻(41%)和硅藻(37%),但在P. tunguidus 组蓝藻生物量比例(36%)远高于绿藻(18%)和硅藻(32%),与不添加营养盐实验的t检验表明D. galeata 对绿藻和蓝藻抑制明显,而P. tunguidus对绿藻和硅藻的抑制明显(t-test,p>0.05)。D. galeata 对衣藻chlamydomonas sp.,绿球藻chlorococcum sp.,单细胞蓝藻抑制作用明显,而P. tunguidus对小球藻chlorella sp.,衣藻chlamydomonas sp.,绿球藻 chlorococcum sp.,小环藻 cyclotella sp.,曲壳藻 achnanthes sp.,针杆藻 Synedra sp.的抑制明显。实验结果表明两种浮游动物影响不同的浮游植物种类,对浮游植物的群落结构的影响具有差异。     

流溪河水库的盔形潘和舌状叶镖水蚤对浮游植物的牧食影响研究

盔形溞Daphnia galeata和舌状叶镖Phyllodiaptomus tunguidus是流溪河水库的两种大型的滤食物性的浮游动物,P.tunguidus也是中国特有种,他们的牧食直接影响浮游植物种类组成和群落结构.为了解这两种浮游动物在自然水体中对浮游植物牧食的作用及营养盐水平对牧食作用的影响,将D.galeata和P.mnguidus 4.4 ind.L-1的密度,分别在两个营养水平(不添加与添加营养盐)中用4.5L的透明塑料瓶培养10天(2008年3月28-4月8日).在不添加营养盐的实验中,水样为用64um孔径的筛绢过滤后的水库水,在添加营养盐的实验中,为过滤后的水样再加入KH2PO4和NaNO3,使TN:TP=16:1(TN=34.86 μmol·L-1,TP=2.18 μmol·L-1).10天后,计数和分析浮游植物四个粒径级别(＜20μm,20-30μm,30-50μm,＞50μm)和各门类及优势种类的生物量组成,比较两组动物在两种营养状态中对浮游植物生物量的影响. 在不添加营养盐的实验中,两种浮游动物对浮游植物总生物量的抑制均不明显,但＜30μm的浮游植物生物量均下降,且D.galeata处理组中,小于20μm的浮游植物生物量低于P.tunguidus处理组,P.tunguidus处理组中20-30μm的浮游植物生物量低于D.galeata组,说明两种浮游动物对＜30μm的浮游植物均有抑制作用,但D.galeata对＜20μm的浮游植物抑制强于P.tunguidus而P.tunguidus对20-30μm的浮游植物抑制强于D.galeata. 在添加营养盐的实验中,营养盐对浮游植物生物量,尤其对＜20μm的浮游植物生物量的促进作用明显.但两种浮游动物对浮游植物的抑制作用在不同种类之间产生差异.D.galeataa处理组的浮游植物总生物量明显高于P.tunguidus组,表明P.tunguidus对浮游植物的抑制作用强于D.galeata.D.galeata处理组中,蓝藻生物量比例(15%)远低于绿藻(41%)和硅藻(37%),但在P.tunguidus组蓝藻生物量比例(36%)远高于绿藻(18%)和硅藻(32%),与不添加营养盐实验的t检验表明D.galeata对绿藻和蓝藻抑制明显,而P.tunguidus对绿藻和硅藻的抑制明显(t-test,p＞0.05).D.galeata对衣藻chlamydgmonas sp.,绿球藻chlorococcum sp.,单细胞蓝藻抑制作用明显,而P.tunguidus对小球藻chlorella sp.,衣藻chlamydomonas sp.,绿球藻chlorococcum sp.,小环藻cyclotella sp.,曲壳藻achnanthes sp.,针杆藻Syneara sp.的抑制明显. 实验结果表明两种浮游动物影响不同的浮游植物种类,对浮游植物的群落结构的影响具有差异.     

Examination of the role of detritus food quality,phytoplankton intracellular storage capacity,and zooplankton stoichiometry on planktonic dynamics

Nutrient stoichiometric ratios are primary driving factors of planktonic food web dynamics. Ecological stoichiometry theory postulates the elemental ratios of consumer species to be homeostatic, while primary-producer stoichiometry may vary with ambient nutrient availability. The notion of phytoplankton intracellular storage is far from novel, but remains largely unexplored in modeling studies of population dynamics. We constructed a seasonally-unforced, zero-dimensional, nutrient–phytoplankton–zooplankton–detritus (NPZD) model that considers dynamic phytoplankton phosphorus reserves and quasi-dynamic zooplankton stoichiometry. A generic food quality term is used to express seston biochemical composition, ingestibility, and digestibility. We examined the sensitivity of the planktonic food web patterns to light and nutrient availability, zooplankton mortality, and detritus food quality as well as to phytoplankton intracellular storage and zooplankton stoichiometry. Our results reinforce earlier findings that high quality seston exerts a stabilizing effect on food web dynamics. However, we also found that the combination of low algal and high detritus food quality with high zooplankton mortality yielded limit cycles and multiple steady states, suggesting that the heterogeneity characterizing seston nutritional quality may have more complicated ecological ramifications. Our numerical experiments identify resource competition strategies related to nutrient transport rates and internal nutrient quotas that may be beneficial for phytoplankton to persevere in resource-limiting habitats. We also highlight the importance of the interplay between optimal stoichiometry and the factors controlling homeostatic rigidity in zooplankton. In particular, our predictions show that the predominance of phosphorus-rich and tightly-homeostatic herbivores in nutrient-enriched environments with low seston food quality can potentially result in high phytoplankton abundance, high phytoplankton-to-zooplankton ratios, and acceleration of oscillatory dynamics. Generally, our modeling study emphasizes the impact of both intracellular/somatic storage and food quality on prey–predator interactions, pinpointing an important aspect of food web dynamics usually neglected by the contemporary modeling studies.     

Patchiness in a minimal nutrient — phytoplankton model

We present a minimal two-component model that can exhibit various types of spatial patterns including patchiness. The model, comprising nutrients and phytoplankton, includes the effect of nutrient uptake by phytoplankton as a Holling type II functional response, and also includes the effect of zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton as a Holling type II non-dynamical term. The mean-field model without the diffusion and advection terms shows both bistability and limit-cycle oscillations as a few parameters such as the input rate of nutrients and the maximum feeding rate of zooplankton are changed. If the parameter values are chosen from the limit-cycle oscillation region, the corresponding reaction-advection-diffusion equations show spatial pattern formations by the combined effects of advection and diffusion by turbulent stirring and mixing, and biological interactions. As the nutrient input is increased, the system behaviour changes from the extinction of the entire phytoplankton to the formation of filamentous patterns, patchiness patterns and homogeneous distributions. These observations suggest that the spatial pattern of phytoplankton can function as an indicator to evaluate the eutrophication level in aquatic ecosystems.     

Persistence and coexistence in zooplankton-phytoplankton-nutrient models with instantaneous nutrient recycling

We consider plankton-nutrient interaction models consisting of phytoplankton, herbivorous zooplankton and dissolved limiting nutrient with general nutrient uptake functions and instantaneous nutrient recycling. For the model with constant nutrient input and different constant washout rates, conditions for boundedness of the solutions, existence and stability of non-negative equilibria, as well as persistence are given. We also consider the zooplankton-phytoplankton-nutrient interaction models with a fluctuating nutrient input and with a periodic washout rate, respectively. It is shown that coexistence of the zooplankton and phytoplankton may arise due to positive bifurcating periodic solutions.Research has been supported in part by a University of Alberta Ph.D. Scholarship and is in part based on the author's Ph.D. thesis under the supervision of Professor H. 1. Freedman, to whom the author owes a debt of appreciation and gratitude for his kind advice, helpful comments and continuous encouragement     

Role of toxin and nutrient for the occurrence and termination of plankton bloom--results drawn from field observations and a mathematical model

The termination of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and coexistence of phytoplankton-zooplankton populations are of great importance to human health, ecosystem, environment, tourism and fisheries. In this paper we propose a three-component model consisting of dissolved limiting nutrients (N) supplied at constant rate and partially recycled after the death of plankton by bacterial decomposition, phytoplankton (P) and zooplankton (Z), where the growth of zooplankton species reduce due to toxic chemicals released by phytoplankton species. Our analysis leads to different thresholds which are expressible in terms of model parameters and determine the existence and stability of various states of the system. We observe that phytoplankton-zooplankton persist if the maximal zooplankton ingestion rate exceeds a lower threshold value. It is shown that the coexistence equilibrium loses its stability when the dilution rate of the nutrient concentration passes through a critical value and Hopf bifurcation occurs that induces oscillations of the population. Our results indicate that the occurrence of bloom increases when the nutrient concentration is very high, and in that case toxin produced by the phytoplankton plays a very crucial role towards the termination of the planktonic bloom.     

Modelling of phytoplankton allelopathy with Monod–Haldane-type functional response—A mathematical study

In this paper, a three-tier model of phytoplankton, zooplankton and nutrient is considered and stability of different equilibrium points is analyzed along with Hopf-bifurcation around coexisting equilibrium point. Here, we have assumed toxication process as the guiding factor for bloom formation as well as its termination and this process is incorporated into our model by choosing the zooplankton grazing function as a Monod–Haldane function due to the phytoplankton toxicity. Extensive numerical simulations have been performed to validate the analytical findings and these simulation work reveal the chaotic oscillation exhibited by the model system for certain choice of the parameter values.     

Phytoplankton food quality control of planktonic food web processes

We developed a mechanistic model of nutrient, phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish interactions to test the effects of phytoplankton food quality for herbivorous zooplankton on planktonic food web processes. When phytoplankton food quality is high strong trophic cascades suppress phytoplankton biomass, the zooplankton can withstand intense zooplanktivory, and energy is efficiently transferred through the food web sustaining higher trophic level production. Low food quality results in trophic decoupling at the plant-animal interface, with phytoplankton biomass determined primarily by nutrient availability, zooplankton easily eliminated by fish predation, and poor energy transfer through the food web. At a given nutrient availability, food quality and zooplanktivory interact to determine zooplankton biomass which in turn determines algal biomass. High food quality resulted in intense zooplankton grazing which favored fast-growing phytoplankton taxa, whereas fish predation favored slow-growing phytoplankton. These results suggest algal food quality for herbivorous zooplankton can strongly influence the nature of aquatic food web dynamics, and can have profound effects on water quality and fisheries production. Handling editor: D. Hamilton     

Can export of organic matter from estuaries support zooplankton in nearshore,marine plumes?

Marine and terrestrial ecosystems are connected via transfers of nutrients and organic matter in river discharges. In coastal seas, such freshwater outflows create prominent turbidity plumes. These plumes are areas of high biological activity in the pelagos, of which zooplankton is a key element. Conceptually, the increased biomass of zooplankton consumers in plumes can be supported by two alternative trophic pathways—consumption of fresh marine phytoplankton production stimulated by riverine nutrients, or direct trophic subsidies through the uptake of terrestrial and estuarine organic matter flushed to sea. The relative importance of these two pathways has not been established previously. Isotopic tracing (carbon and nitrogen) was used to measure the extent of incorporation of marine versus terrestrial matter into mesozooplankton consumers in the plumes off a small estuary in eastern Australia. Replicate zooplankton samples were taken during baseflow conditions with minimal freshwater influence to the sea, and during pulsed discharge events that generated turbidity plumes in coastal waters. Food sources utilized by zooplankton differed among locations and with the strength of freshwater flow. Terrestrial and estuarine carbon only made a sizeable contribution (47%) to the carbon demands of zooplankton in the lower estuary during pulsed freshwater flows. By contrast, in plumes that developed in nearshore marine waters, phytoplankton supplied up to 90% of the dietary carbon of zooplankton feeding in the plumes. Overall, it was “fresh” carbon, fixed by marine phytoplankton, the growth of which became stimulated by fluvial nutrient exports, that dominated energy flows in plume regions. The trophic role of terrestrial and estuarine organic exports was comparatively minor. The trophic dynamics of plankton in small coastal plumes is closely linked to variations in freshwater flow, but this coupling operates mainly through the enhancement of in-situ phytoplankton production rather than cross-boundary transfers of organic matter to marine food webs in the pelagos.     

Oscillations in plankton models with nutrient recycling

Plankton--nutrient interaction models with both instantaneous and delayed nutrient recycling are considered. The system consists of three components: autotrophic phytoplankton, herbivorous zooplankton and dissolved limiting nutrient. Local stability of the equilibria is analysed. It is shown that the positive equilibrium loses its stability when the nutrient input concentration passes through a critical value and the Hopf bifurcation occurs that induces oscillations of the populations. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the obtained results.     

Dynamics induced by delay in a nutrient–phytoplankton model with diffusion

In this paper, a nutrient–phytoplankton model described by a couple of reaction-diffusion equations with delay is studied analytically and numerically. The aim of this research is to provide an understanding of the impact of delay on the nutrient–phytoplankton dynamics. Significantly, the delay can not only induce instability of a positive equilibrium, but also promote the formation of patchiness (an irregular pattern) via Hopf bifurcation. However, if the delay does not exist, the positive equilibrium is always globally asymptotically stable when it exists. In addition, the numerical analysis indicates that the input rate and the loss rate of nutrient also play an important role in the growth of phytoplankton, which supports that eutrophic conditions may be a significant reason inducing phytoplankton blooms. Numerical results are consistent with the analytical results.     

Roles of parasitic fungi in aquatic food webs: a theoretical approach

1. Parasites are ubiquitous in ecosystems, but their roles in material transfer are poorly understood. Fungal parasites in freshwater ecosystems are of major importance to small heterotrophic eukaryotes and consume large phytoplankton that are resistant to zooplankton grazing. 2. To evaluate their ecosystem‐level effects, we developed a simple food web model that incorporates competition between small and large phytoplankton for nutrients, zooplankton grazing on small phytoplankton, fungal parasitism on large phytoplankton and includes a newly discovered trophic link from fungal zoospores to zooplankton (F‐Z link). 3. Our model demonstrates the likely occurrence of an indirect mutualism between fungi and zooplankton, in which fungal parasitism increases zooplankton production by reducing the biomass of inedible large phytoplankton. Contradicting the expectation from a previous short‐term experiment that the F‐Z link may benefit zooplankton, the presence of the F‐Z link can reduce material transfer from phytoplankton to zooplankton because of the negative effect of the indirect mutualism. The model indicates that high growth efficiency of fungi on host tissue and their high nutrient status for zooplankton are crucial for the F‐Z link to increase zooplankton production. 4. The model also indicates that the contribution of material transfer via F‐Z link to zooplankton increases with nutrient availability. Our results suggest that parasitic fungi may be a key player in material transfer, especially in eutrophic ecosystems.