TY - JOUR
T1 - Positive feedback in aquatic ecosystems
T2 - The case of the microbial loop
AU - Stone, Lewi
AU - Berman, Tom
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Lee Segel for invaluable discussions, which led to considerable sharpening of the description of the model and the manuscript in genera\[. This work was supported by grant no. 870006 from the U.S.-Israel Binational Foundation, by the Israel Water Commissioner, and from the Australian Research Council.
PY - 1993/9
Y1 - 1993/9
N2 - The description of the "microbial loop" has led to some major changes in our understanding of nutrient cycling within aquatic ecosystems. It now appears that in many settings it is not uncommon for some 50% of phytoplankton production to be diverted into microbial pathways rather than passing up to higher trophic levels. As a result the microbial loop is responsible for enhanced and rapid nutrient cycling at the very base of the food web. Since tight recycling is often associated with unstable positive feedback, we use a model to examine the possible repercussions in more detail. The model simulates the dynamics of the microbial loop and finds it to greatly affect the way in which aquatic primary production responds to nutrient pulses.
AB - The description of the "microbial loop" has led to some major changes in our understanding of nutrient cycling within aquatic ecosystems. It now appears that in many settings it is not uncommon for some 50% of phytoplankton production to be diverted into microbial pathways rather than passing up to higher trophic levels. As a result the microbial loop is responsible for enhanced and rapid nutrient cycling at the very base of the food web. Since tight recycling is often associated with unstable positive feedback, we use a model to examine the possible repercussions in more detail. The model simulates the dynamics of the microbial loop and finds it to greatly affect the way in which aquatic primary production responds to nutrient pulses.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0000865336&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/BF02460692
DO - 10.1007/BF02460692
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AN - SCOPUS:0000865336
SN - 0092-8240
VL - 55
SP - 919
EP - 936
JO - Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
JF - Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
IS - 5
ER -