Collaborative Research: Stage-structured Interactions in Lake Communities

虽然规模和阶段结构的人口是 在自然界中普遍存在，很少有研究考察它们的 生态后果。 蓝鳃鱼，最常见的鱼类 在北美洲的许多小湖泊中， 它们是功能性的阶段结构， 软体的沿岸的无脊椎动物和成年动物，以湖沼动物为食 浮游动物 这项拟议中的研究将检验以下假设： 蓝鳃金龟种群联系沿岸的和湖沼的动态 栖息地通过其阶段结构的栖息地使用，从而提供 这是鱼类群体关注的焦点 有组织的。 这项研究将检查负责的过程 大型水蚤生产中的湖泊变异， 成年蓝鳃金龟的主要资源和解释的因素 蓝鳃金龟密度和生长的湖泊变异。竞争 幼年蓝鳃金龟和一系列沿岸的鱼类之间的关系， 包括大口黑鲈，将被检查使用组合 比较湖泊调查和实验测试。 研究 将提供对机制的一般理解， 阶段结构化互动的后果，并可以帮助指导 制定具体的温水管理战略， 渔业。

Although size and stage-structured populations are ubiquitous in natural communities few studies have examined their ecological consequences. Bluegill, the most common fish species in many small lakes throughout North America, have populations that are functionally stage-structured, with juveniles feeding on soft-bodied littoral invertebrates and adults feeding on limnetic zooplankton. The proposed research will test the hypothesis that bluegill populations link dynamics of littoral and limnetic habitats via their stage-structured habitat use and thus provide a central focus about which the rest of the fish community is organized. The research will examine processes responsible for among-lake variation in the production of large Daphnia, the primary resource of adult bluegill and the factor that explains among-lake variation in bluegill density and growth. Competition between juvenile bluegill and a suite of littoral fish species, including largemouth bass, will be examined using a combination of comparative lake surveys and experimental tests. The research will provide general understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of stage-structured interactions, and can help guide the development of specific management strategies for warm-water fisheries.