Chemically Mediated Interactions in a Sedimentary Assemblage

不同营养水平的物种之间的化学调节是生态系统的一个重要特征。这项建议考察了中等营养水平的沉积群落，这些生物产生的毒素影响较高和较低的营养水平。多毛虫Notomastus lobatus将单溴苯酚毒素分泌到沉积物中，可能会影响微生物群落的活动和组成，影响底栖动物的招募，以及捕食沉积物的捕食/干扰。实验研究了功能基团和细菌总群落对单溴酚的剂量效应、幼虫定居和成虫活动的化感作用抑制以及捕食者活动与沉积物中单溴酚存在的关系。

Chemical mediation of linkages among species at different trophic levels is an important characteristic of ecosystems. This proposal examines a sedimentary community dominated at middle trophic levels by organisms which produce toxins that influence higher and lower trophic levels. The exudation of the toxin monobromophenol by the polychaete worm Notomastus lobatus into the sediment is hypothesized to influence the activity and composition of the microbial community, recruitment of infauna, and predation/disturbance by sediment feeding predators. Experiments are proposed which examine the dose response of functional groups and the total community of bacteria to monobromophenol, allelochemical inhibition of larval settlement and adult activity of infauna, and the relationship of predator activity to the presence of monobromophenol in the sediment.