鱼类营养级在海洋生态系统研究中的应用

Application of fish trophic level in marine ecosystem

营养级是生态系统营养动力学的核心概念,最早用于反映食物网中生命体的位置。近年来,营养级广泛应用于群落和生态系统研究中。作者在广泛收集国内外相关文献资料基础上,结合实际研究经验,分析了国内外营养级的研究现状。研究结果显示,营养级耦合了生态系统的结构和功能,在海洋生态学研究中优势明显。随着研究的深入,营养级概念的缺陷也逐渐显露,但新方法、新技术(稳定同位素方法)的产生可能为解决此问题带来帮助。在传统营养级研究基础上,近年来群落平均营养级概念的提出,扩充了营养级概念的内涵。群落平均营养级不仅可以揭示系统或群落的营养格局和结构组成特征,也能用于评估生态系统的资源利用状况和外界干扰程度,应作为群落营养动力学的主要发展方向。基于营养级的生态系统营养控制机制是生态系统动力学研究内容,是揭示系统动态变化规律的重要途径。此外,将群落大小结构和营养级相关联的新思路有效避免了营养级划分过程的局限性,是营养动力学的重要进展。

Trophic level（ TL）,as a fundamental concept in ecology study,originally represents the location of organism in the food web. The present paper reviews current situation of TL research based on extensively collected related literatures at home and abroad and author’s own work experience. Analyses show that the concept of TL has been widely used due to its unique advantage of combining the two parts in marine ecosystem（ structure and function）. However,limitations of the application of TL arise along with its widely using. New study methods,such as the application of stable isotope,will probably put new light on these problems. Mean TL,an important concept proposed in recent years in marine ecology,redefines the TL meaning and can be considered to lead the progress of the trophic dynamics study for it is used not only to reveal the composition patterns and nutrition characters,but also to evaluate the utilization of marine resources and the degree of external disturbances in marine ecosystem. Mechanisms based on TL serve as an important part and useful tool in understanding in trophodynamics study. Besides,due to the omnivorous character of fish,focusing on the size structure associated with TL in community research may be more effective.