Types of aquatic microcosms and their research applications

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6544278

Giddings, J M

Aquatic microcosm research has developed along two basic lines, the model ecosystem and the model food chain. Originally used mainly to test ecological hypotheses, microcosms are now finding applications in assessing the environmental effects of human activities, particularly chemical pollution. A critical problem today is selection of appropriate microcosm types for different research needs. Model ecosystems are used for studying community or ecosystem-level phenomena, such as diversity, stability, nutrient cycling, and energy flow, under controlled conditions. Model food chains, which are simpler, easier to analyze, but less realistic than model ecosystems, are applicable to studies of population dynamics, interspecific competition, predator-prey interactions, and trophic dynamics. In contaminant research, microcosms are more useful as predictive tools than as screening tools.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6544278
• Report Number(s): CONF-781101-1
• Resource Relation: Conference: Symposium on the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Augusta, GA, USA, 8 Nov 1978
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
FOOD CHAINS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
SPECIES DIVERSITY
MINERAL CYCLING
WATER POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ECOSYSTEMS
POLLUTION
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
520100 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (-1989)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology