Review of Abiotic and Biotic Interactions in Pelagic Communities: Processes Relevant to L Lake.

摘要

The purpose of this report is to provide a state-of-the-art review of structural and functional processes in pelagic communities and extrapolate these empirical and theoretical results to L Lake, the once-through cooling reservoir at the Savannah River Plant. Man-made reservoirs differ from natural lakes in their origins, hydrodynamics, sedimentation patterns, and general eutrophication histories. Phosphorus and nitrogen limitation of phytoplankton productivity controls the rate of eutrophication, while also determining algal community structure. Here the Lean and Monod models of nutrient fluxing and uptake kinetics provide useful constructs for predictive purposes. Much of the reduced carbon synthesized by primary production is shunted through the microbial loop where heterotrophic flagellates and protozoans pass this carbon on to the macrozooplankton. This recently discovered pathway is common to eutrophic reservoirs where blue-green species dominate phytoplankton assemblages. Through selective grazing and tactile oriented predation, the crustacean zooplankton partially regulates the relative abundance of algae and microzooplankton species. 194 refs., 10 figs. (ERA citation 13:057508)