水生食物网研究方法的发展和应用

水生生物在食物网中的相互关系及其变化是生态学研究的重要领域之一,其实质是研究生物之间的捕食与被捕食关系。传统的水生食物网研究方法是基于形态学观察的胃含物分析,具有较大的局限性。随着科学技术的发展,稳定同位素技术、特征脂肪酸组成分析和DNA条形码等分子技术的引入有效的弥补了胃含物分析的不足,并可以更深入的了解水生生物的摄食信息,因此得到了广泛的应用。本文采用文献计量法分析了水生食物网研究方法的发展动态,分别介绍了稳定同位素技术、特征脂肪酸组成分析和DNA条形码技术与胃含物结合应用的研究进展,着重归纳总结了其在水生生物食性研究中的应用现状及发展前景,详细地指出了4种水生食物网研究方法的优势和局限性、适用范畴和对实验样品的需求。胃含物分析作为传统食物网研究方法未来仍是不可缺少的一部分,其向我们传递了最为直接的摄食信息。在此基础上,稳定同位素技术、特征脂肪酸组成分析和DNA条形码等分子技术作为胃含物分析方法的补充手段,将更有利于重建复杂的水生食物网结构,进而为渔业管理提供必要的帮助。

A review on the methods used in aquatic food web research: Development and applications

Describing predator-prey relationships among organisms is essential in the food web studies of aquatic ecosystems. The traditional method of food web research is based on the morphological observation of the stomach contents. With the development of science and technology, new methodological approaches such as stable isotope analysis, fatty acid profiling, and DNA barcoding effectively avoid the limitations of stomach content analysis, provide a deeper understanding of the feeding characteristics of aquatic organisms, and have been widely used in feeding ecology studies. In this paper, the development trend of the research methods used to study aquatic food webs was introduced. The current status of stable isotope analysis, fatty acid profiling, and DNA barcoding techniques, combined with stomach content techniques, were reviewed, focusing on the application and development of the four methods, the comparison of their advantages and limitations, their applicable scope and assumptions, and the requirements for available experimental samples. These areas are discussed in terms of the assumptions made when applying these techniques to the study of aquatic ecology and the combinations of these techniques that investigators use for different study objectives. Recommendations are made for future aquatic feeding ecology experimental work that would improve understanding of food web structures and the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. As the traditional research method, stomach content analysis remains an irreplaceable technique in the study of feeding ecology. Stable isotopes, fatty acid profiling, DNA barcoding, and other molecular techniques are strong complements to stomach content analysis and provide additional useful information for reconstructing aquatic food webs, which would be helpful in ecosystem-based fishery management.