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Trophic Structure and Energy Flow in a Texas Pond

Annual energy flow and mean annual biocontent of eighteen compartments were determined for a 0.94 ha north central Texas pond ecosystem. Annual primary production was 7,780 kcal m^-2 yr^-2, and community production-to-respiration ratio was 1.49. One-third of annual primary production accumulated on the substrate as silt and sedimentation. Community production, production-respiration ratio, and biocontents of all compartments except aquatic insects were large in summer, small in winter. Biocontents of four trophic levels in the pond were all of the same order of magnitude, approximately 50 kcal m^-2. Suspended and benthic organic material forprimary consumers and terrestrial insects for tertiary consumers were substantial allochthanous energy imports into the pond system.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc503847
Date08 1900
CreatorsChildress, William M.
ContributorsFitzpatrick, Lloyd C., Pearson, William D., Stanford, Jack Arthur, 1947-, Smith, Donald Wiley
PublisherNorth Texas State University
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatvi, 98 leaves : ill., Text
CoverageUnited States - Texas
RightsPublic, Childress, William M., Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

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