Exploring the role of fish in a lake ecosystem (Lake Kinneret, Israel) by coupling an individual-based fish population model to a dynamic ecosystem model
Authored by Vardit Makler-Pick, Gideon Gal, James Shapiro, Matthew R Hipsey
Date Published: 2011
DOI: 10.1139/f2011-051
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Abstract
To explore the role that fish play in aquatic ecosystems, a hydrodynamic
ecological model (DYRESM-CAEDYM) was coupled to a novel fish population
model. The coupled model (DYCD-FISH) combined two modelling approaches:
a complex dynamic model and an individual-based model. The coupled model
simulates fish growth population dynamics and predicts fish impacts on
various ecosystem components, including nutrients and lower trophic
levels. The model was employed to explore the role of the dominant fish
in Lake Kinneret (Israel), Acanthobrama terraesanctae (Kinneret bleak, or in Hebrew, lavnun ha'kinneret; hereafter lavnun). Model results
suggested that the lavnun has a significant impact (p < 0.05) on the
magnitude of output variables including its prey food (the predatory and
microzooplankton), major nutrients such as ammonium (NH4) and phosphate
(PO4), and on several phytoplankton species, but not on the seasonality
of any of the output variables. Since the model incorporates trophic
levels from nutrients to fish, it revealed the nonlinear dynamic impacts
of fish on different ecosystem components and in particular has led to
quantitative insights into the relative influence of top-down control on
water quality attributes. Besides being an ecosystem research tool, DYCD-FISH can also be employed as a fishery management tool, and in
particular facilitate ecosystem-based fishery management.
Tags
Growth-rate
Spatial-distribution
Georges bank
Bioenergetics model
Food-web
Phytoplankton-zooplankton model
Intraguild predation
Pelagic fish
Mirogrex-terraesanctae cyprinidae
Fresh-water ecosystems