Collaborative Research: The Role of Fatty Acids and Limiting Elements in Biogeochemical Cycling and Food Web Dynamics

Brett合作研究-脂肪酸和限制元素在生物地球化学循环和食物网动态中的作用植物对食草动物的食物质量可能对各种各样的过程产生深远的影响。 这些因素包括富营养化（或有害藻华）、食物网不同层次（即植物和食草动物）之间的相互作用强度、每一营养层次的生物量积累以及渔业生产。 本研究的目的是确定必需脂肪酸和元素如磷和氮在调节这些过程中的作用。 实验和模拟结果表明，当藻类必需脂肪酸含量高时，浮游动物生长迅速，并建立了足以抑制植物的生物量。 这导致相对较高的水质（由于藻类生物量低，水质清澈）和较高的渔业产量。另外，必需脂肪酸含量低的藻类会导致水质不清，浮游动物生长不良，渔业产量减少。 研究人员计划使用脂肪酸分析来检查通过水生食物网的能量流动：从植物到食草动物到食肉动物再到经济上重要的鱼类。

Abstract00-75616BrettCollaborative Research - The Role of Fatty Acids and Limiting Elements in Biogeochemical Cycling and Food Web DynamicsThe food quality of plants for herbivores may have profound impacts on a wide variety of processes. These include eutrophication (or nuisance algal blooms), the strength of interactions between different levels in the food web (i.e. plants and herbivores), biomass accumulation at each trophic level, and fisheries production. The objective of this research is to determine the role essential fatty acids and elements such as phosphorus and nitrogen play in regulating these processes. Experimental and modeling results suggest that when algal essential fatty acid content is high, zooplankton grow rapidly and build up a biomass sufficient to suppress plants. This results in relatively high water quality (high water clarity due to low algal biomass) and high fisheries production. Alternatively, algae with low essential fatty acid content will result in poor water clarity and zooplankton growth, and reduced fisheries production. The investigators plan to use fatty acid analyses to examine energy flow through aquatic food webs: from plants to herbivores to carnivores to economically important fish.