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Joint effects of nutrients and contaminants on the dynamics of a food chain in marine ecosystems.

Authors :
Bacelar FS
Dueri S
Hernández-García E
Zaldívar JM
Source :
Mathematical biosciences [Math Biosci] 2009 Mar; Vol. 218 (1), pp. 24-32. Date of Electronic Publication: 2008 Dec 24.
Publication Year :
2009

Abstract

We analyze the joint effect of contaminants and nutrient loading on population dynamics of marine food chains by means of bifurcation analysis. Contaminant toxicity is assumed to alter mortality of some species with a sigmoidal dose-response relationship. A generic effect of pollutants is to delay transitions to complex dynamical states towards higher nutrient load values, but more counterintuitive consequences arising from indirect effects are described. In particular, the top predator seems to be the species more affected by pollutants, even when contaminant is toxic only to lower trophic levels.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0025-5564
Volume :
218
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Mathematical biosciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
19135461
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2008.12.002