Volume : 5, Issue : 3, March - 2016

Effects of nutrient enrichment on producers in a simple food web

Lei Zhao, Huayong Zhang

Abstract :

<p>&nbsp; Paradox of enrichment&rsquo; has been generally verified in simple models containing biotic resources, and here we explore whether this paradox can last in more realistic models. A simple food web with two producer species and two specialist predators was analyzed. The influences of nutrient enrichment on producers in the food web models are explored via analyzing the change of producers&rsquo; mean biomass and population stability. The results showed that the enrichment of one nutrient would not alter the biomass or population stability of producer species. However, the enrichment of both nutrients would increase the producer biomass and at the same time decrease the population stability. Our findings extend the traditional paradox of enrichment into simple food webs.</p>