Food Web Modeling in the Western and Central Basins of Lake Erie.

摘要

Fish production in freshwater ecosystems is strongly related to trophic status, with abiotic (nutrient levels) and biotic (predation) forces determining the abundance and species composition of fishes. In Lake Erie, phosphorus loading declined sharply due to the 1972 Clean Water Act, resulting in reduced lake productivity, likely altering the lake's carrying capacity for piscivores and their prey. During 1968 through 1997, walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) abundance in Lake Eria varied greatly, raising concern as to the ability f Lake Erie prey fish to support walleye growth and reproduction in the face of fluctuating lake productivity. To improve the predictive capability regarding system trajectory, my research focused on interactions among walleye predatory demand, prey availability, and lake productivity.