ISSN:
1439-0426
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Biology
,
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Fish landings in the Baltic Sea from 1970 to 2000 were used as a proxy for fish biomass to explore variability of total fish biomass. Total demersal (total D) and total pelagic (total P) landings proved relatively invariant over time compared with most of their component species. This was explained in terms of the energy limitation imposed on the ecosystem by its carrying capacity, forcing species interactions (predation, competition, etc.) with compensations that allowed the total biomasses to remain relatively stable. Extensive interactions were demonstrated among the Baltic fish species by linear correlation with appropriate negative signs, indicating compensatory interactions consistent with the energy limitation theory. The variances of the landings of cod, herring, sprat and total landings reflected the magnitudes of variation of their biomasses as estimated from the Virtual Population Analysis (VPA), thus justifying the use of landings data in this analysis as a proxy for biomass. Significant demersal–pelagic coupling was indicated from the landings data, which could be explained by trophic interactions. Species interactions generally explained between 17 and 66% of the variations in landings. Thus, substantial portions of the variations in the landings must be attributed to other factors: biological, fishery and environmental.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2004.00573.x
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