We present a model describing the fluxes of matter and energy through a detritus-based aquatic community. The model is based on the investigation of the decomposition of Phragmites australis in a Southern Italian coastal lagoon (Lake Alimini Grande). It reproduces the behaviour of the detritus-based system by simulating processes of microbial growth and macroinvertebrate colonization in a specific patch of detritus. Specifically, the macroinvertebrate colonization is seen as a dynamic process in which individuals move towards the patch according to resource availability. The good agreement between simulated and experimental data suggests that the behaviourally-based mechanism of invertebrate colonization characterising our model provides an effective description of the decomposition patterns observed in nature.
Detritus processing in tri-trophic food chains: a modelling approach
MANCINELLI, GIORGIOSecondo
Membro del Collaboration Group
;BASSET, Alberto
2007-01-01
Abstract
We present a model describing the fluxes of matter and energy through a detritus-based aquatic community. The model is based on the investigation of the decomposition of Phragmites australis in a Southern Italian coastal lagoon (Lake Alimini Grande). It reproduces the behaviour of the detritus-based system by simulating processes of microbial growth and macroinvertebrate colonization in a specific patch of detritus. Specifically, the macroinvertebrate colonization is seen as a dynamic process in which individuals move towards the patch according to resource availability. The good agreement between simulated and experimental data suggests that the behaviourally-based mechanism of invertebrate colonization characterising our model provides an effective description of the decomposition patterns observed in nature.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
