Eco-Dynamic Analysis of the Community Structure of Nekton in the Northern South China Sea

The universal laws of thermodynamics in the process of ecosystem development have long been the common research focus of ecology and biophysics. Eco-exergy from thermodynamics is a popular theory in the study of ecosystem self-organization that has been widely used in the study of wetlands and aquat...

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Main Authors: Huarong Yuan, Zhaojin Lin, Yuxiang Chen, Pimao Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-11-01
Series:Fishes
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/8/12/578
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author Huarong Yuan
Zhaojin Lin
Yuxiang Chen
Pimao Chen
author_facet Huarong Yuan
Zhaojin Lin
Yuxiang Chen
Pimao Chen
author_sort Huarong Yuan
collection DOAJ
description The universal laws of thermodynamics in the process of ecosystem development have long been the common research focus of ecology and biophysics. Eco-exergy from thermodynamics is a popular theory in the study of ecosystem self-organization that has been widely used in the study of wetlands and aquatic ecosystems. This study is based on the data of bottom trawl fishery resources in the Northern South China Sea in 1964–1965, 1997–1999, 2006–2007, and 2017. Based on the eco-exergy theory, the exergy contribution rate (P<sub>C</sub>) of the nekton community and the exergy contribution rate (P<sub>L</sub>) of different organismic populations were constructed. The eco-exergy (E<sub>X</sub>) and specific eco-exergy (E<sub>Xsp</sub>) of the nekton in the northeastern South China Sea were analyzed. The results show that, from 1964 to 2017, the E<sub>X</sub> and E<sub>Xsp</sub> of the nekton community decreased 13.28-fold and 1.42-fold, respectively. Fish populations remained the major contributors to the E<sub>X</sub> and E<sub>Xsp</sub> of the nekton community; however, compared to crustaceans and cephalopods, their role in maintaining the stability and complexity of the community structure was gradually weakened, and the genetic information per unit of biomass decreased. Meanwhile, compared to fish, the proportion of the E<sub>X</sub> of crustaceans and cephalopods in the nekton community showed an upward trend. The proportion of crustaceans increased from 2.76% in 1997–1999 to 14.84% in 2017, while that of cephalopods increased from 3.55% to 16.67%. Based on the findings, we speculate that crustaceans and cephalopods play an increasing role in the stability and complexity of the fishery resource structure in the Northern South China Sea. The species replacement in the nekton was obvious, and the dominant species of the Nekton community gradually changed from k-type species to r-type species in the Northern South China Sea.
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spelling doaj.art-e75eb8b409044d7994e4343ded2813e02023-12-22T14:08:11ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882023-11-0181257810.3390/fishes8120578Eco-Dynamic Analysis of the Community Structure of Nekton in the Northern South China SeaHuarong Yuan0Zhaojin Lin1Yuxiang Chen2Pimao Chen3South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaSouth China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaSouth China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaSouth China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Science, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaThe universal laws of thermodynamics in the process of ecosystem development have long been the common research focus of ecology and biophysics. Eco-exergy from thermodynamics is a popular theory in the study of ecosystem self-organization that has been widely used in the study of wetlands and aquatic ecosystems. This study is based on the data of bottom trawl fishery resources in the Northern South China Sea in 1964–1965, 1997–1999, 2006–2007, and 2017. Based on the eco-exergy theory, the exergy contribution rate (P<sub>C</sub>) of the nekton community and the exergy contribution rate (P<sub>L</sub>) of different organismic populations were constructed. The eco-exergy (E<sub>X</sub>) and specific eco-exergy (E<sub>Xsp</sub>) of the nekton in the northeastern South China Sea were analyzed. The results show that, from 1964 to 2017, the E<sub>X</sub> and E<sub>Xsp</sub> of the nekton community decreased 13.28-fold and 1.42-fold, respectively. Fish populations remained the major contributors to the E<sub>X</sub> and E<sub>Xsp</sub> of the nekton community; however, compared to crustaceans and cephalopods, their role in maintaining the stability and complexity of the community structure was gradually weakened, and the genetic information per unit of biomass decreased. Meanwhile, compared to fish, the proportion of the E<sub>X</sub> of crustaceans and cephalopods in the nekton community showed an upward trend. The proportion of crustaceans increased from 2.76% in 1997–1999 to 14.84% in 2017, while that of cephalopods increased from 3.55% to 16.67%. Based on the findings, we speculate that crustaceans and cephalopods play an increasing role in the stability and complexity of the fishery resource structure in the Northern South China Sea. The species replacement in the nekton was obvious, and the dominant species of the Nekton community gradually changed from k-type species to r-type species in the Northern South China Sea.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/8/12/578laws of thermodynamicseco-exergyspecific eco-exergyexergy contribution rate of communityexergy contribution rate of population
spellingShingle Huarong Yuan
Zhaojin Lin
Yuxiang Chen
Pimao Chen
Eco-Dynamic Analysis of the Community Structure of Nekton in the Northern South China Sea
Fishes
laws of thermodynamics
eco-exergy
specific eco-exergy
exergy contribution rate of community
exergy contribution rate of population
title Eco-Dynamic Analysis of the Community Structure of Nekton in the Northern South China Sea
title_full Eco-Dynamic Analysis of the Community Structure of Nekton in the Northern South China Sea
title_fullStr Eco-Dynamic Analysis of the Community Structure of Nekton in the Northern South China Sea
title_full_unstemmed Eco-Dynamic Analysis of the Community Structure of Nekton in the Northern South China Sea
title_short Eco-Dynamic Analysis of the Community Structure of Nekton in the Northern South China Sea
title_sort eco dynamic analysis of the community structure of nekton in the northern south china sea
topic laws of thermodynamics
eco-exergy
specific eco-exergy
exergy contribution rate of community
exergy contribution rate of population
url https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/8/12/578
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AT zhaojinlin ecodynamicanalysisofthecommunitystructureofnektoninthenorthernsouthchinasea
AT yuxiangchen ecodynamicanalysisofthecommunitystructureofnektoninthenorthernsouthchinasea
AT pimaochen ecodynamicanalysisofthecommunitystructureofnektoninthenorthernsouthchinasea