Trophic Structure and Energy Flow in a Texas Pond

• Main Author: Childress, William M.
• Other Authors: Fitzpatrick, Lloyd C.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: North Texas State University 1978
• Subjects: pond ecosystems; biocontents; trophic levels; energy flow; Pond ecology > Texas > Denton.; Bioenergetics.; Bioenergetics > Mathematical models.
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc503847/

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.