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Trophic structure and energy fluxes in a grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) cultured pond ecosystem

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Abstract

A grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) cultured pond in east China was described using an Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model, aimed at characterizing trophic structure, the interactions among ecological groups and assessing the efficiency of the pond ecosystem. Fifteen functional groups were incorporated into the model (including artificial feed). Values for production, consumption and respiration were compared with the total system throughput. The results indicated that both primary and secondary productivity were not well utilized in the pond ecosystem, resulting in an accumulation of detritus. The maximum trophic level of any functional group in the model was only 3.14. This indicates a short food chain, typical of simple or immature food webs in terms of structure and dynamics. The different size fractions of phytoplankton made different contributions to the system, and larger-sized phytoplankton were easier to eat by organisms at higher trophic levels. The study indicated that introducing a polyculture system would increase the efficiency and outputs from the pond ecosystem.

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Abbreviations

B :

Biomass

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

DO:

Dissolved oxygen

EwE:

Ecopath with Ecosim

EE :

Ecotrophic efficiency

P/B :

Total biological production rate

TE :

Transfer efficiency

Q/B :

Total food consumption rate

TST:

Total system throughput

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, No. 2009CB118706) and the Natural Science Fund Project of Shandong Province (No. ZR2014CM042). The authors thank the Freshwater Fishery Research Institution of Shandong Province, Jinan, Shandong province, China, and their staff for allowing the performance of our field investigation and in situ tests in their facility. The authors also thank the following graduate students for their contributions to the study: Zhang Zhen-Dong, Song Qi, Xia Bin, Liu Bing-Jun, Zhao Lei, Yang Jian-Lei and Guo Yong-Jian. The comments provided by the anonymous reviewers helped to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, People’s Republic of China

    Bo Zhou, Shuanglin Dong & Fang Wang

  2. The Fishery Institute of the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yibin, 644003, People’s Republic of China

    Bo Zhou

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  1. Bo Zhou
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  2. Shuanglin Dong
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  3. Fang Wang
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Correspondence to Bo Zhou.

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Zhou, B., Dong, S. & Wang, F. Trophic structure and energy fluxes in a grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) cultured pond ecosystem. Aquacult Int 23, 1313–1324 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-015-9886-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-015-9886-7

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