Energy flows in the Haizhou Bay food web based on the LIM-MCMC model

Abstract

The LIM-MCMC model of the Haizhou Bay ecosystem was built to examine the energy flows and characteristics of the ecosystem based on survey data obtained from bottom trawl surveys in Haizhou Bay and adjacent waters in the spring and autumn of 2018. This study will provide an important theoretical basis for the in-depth understanding of the Haizhou Bay ecosystem. Our results showed that the Haizhou Bay ecosystem contained 18 functional groups and 196 energy flow paths. These energy flow paths can be divided into four energy levels [0.00–1.00 t/(km²·a), 1.00–10.00 t/(km²·a), 10.00–100.00 t/(km²·a), and >100.00 t/(km²·a)]. In the range of 0.00–1.00 t/(km²·a), they were mainly composed of high-trophic level functional groups, including 155 weak energy flow paths, and they played important roles in maintaining the stability of the ecosystem. There were 21 energy flow paths in the range of 1.00–10.00 t/(km²·a) that played important roles in the transfer of energy from low to high-trophic levels. There were 12 and 8 energy flow paths in the ranges of 10.00–100.00 t/(km²·a) and >100.00 t/(km²·a), respectively, all of which were low-trophic level groups. In the Haizhou Bay ecosystem, the respiratory consumption and inflow to detritus of low-trophic level functional groups were much higher than that of the high-trophic level functional groups. The overall energy flow distribution showed a typical pyramidal energy flow, with low-trophic level functional groups having higher energy. According to the theory of ecosystem maturity, the Haizhou Bay ecosystem matured and can now resist external disturbances to some extent. In future research, incorporating other analytical methods into the LIM-MCMC model will help improve the accuracy of the model, solve the limitations of parameters to a certain extent, and build a complete food web from microorganisms to top predators. This study will provide an important basis for the in-depth understanding of the Haizhou Bay food web and contribute to ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM) in Haizhou Bay.