Ecosystems that are depicted as nodes (species groups) and links (trophic transfers) encompass well defined roles in terms of their trophic structure. Some are primary producers and furnish the system with newly bound energy or nutrients, whereas others divide themselves over various trophic levels creating a hierarchy of energy use and reuse. All waste and mortality products of nodes comprise ...

Eutrophication represents one of the most impacting threats for ecological status and related ecosystem services transitional waters; hence, its assessment plays a key role in management these ecosystems. A new multi-index method eutrophication assessment, based on index MaQI (Macrophyte Quality Index), trophic TWQI (Transitional Water physicochemical quality elements (sensu Dir. 2000/60/EC), w...

Little is known about the functions of N:P ratios in determining trophic structures and ecological health in lotic ecosystems, even though N:P ratios have been frequently used as a stoichiometric determinant in ambient water for trophic allocation of low-level organisms such as phytoplankton or zooplankton. In this study, nutrients (N, P) and sestonic chlorophyll (CHL) from 40 different streams...

BACKGROUND The associations between symptoms and venous disease of the lower extremities are poorly characterized. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate relationships between symptoms associated with venous disease and prevalent disease in 2408 men and women aged 29 to 91 years who were employees, retirees, or spouses at a large state university. Index participants were ran...

Previous reports suggest that fungivorous nematodes are the only trophic group in forest soils affected by elevated CO2. However, there can be ambiguity within trophic groups, and we examined data at a genus level to determine whether the conclusion remains similar. Nematodes were extracted from roots and soil of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) forests fumiga...

In this article, we show how a disease could bias stable isotope analyzes of trophic networks and propose a strategy in the choice of tissues to be analyzed. In the past few years, a new pathology (brown muscle disease or BMD) affecting the posterior adductor muscle of Ruditapes philippinarum has emerged in Arcachon Bay. BMD induces a necrosis of muscle tissues which become infused by conchioli...

eutrophication is known as the most common problem in water bodies, caused by high concentrations of different nutrients leading to unbalanced growth of aquatic plants, among other symptoms. hence, the possibility of eutrophication prediction can be beneficial to the sustainable management of these natural resources and create an opportunity to control their trophic conditions over time. a soft...

Water quality is an important factor to consider when attempting to reconcile mathematical optimisation modellingwith the physical reality of water-resource systems. In particular, when the greater part of water resources in supply systems comes from artificial reservoirs, as in Mediterranean regions, a simplified approach based on the attribution of the trophic state of reservoirs can be devel...