Two versions of a balance model to predict the bioproductivity of aquatic ecosystems

Abstract

Two versions of a mass-balance model, simulating biotic energy flow in aquatic ecosystems are given. The first (original) version was developed with the use of Stella software package. As this package is difficult to assess for users, the author proposed a model in Excel format, based on the same balance principle as that used in the original model. Both model versions are governed by a small number of input parameters and intended to forecast the biomass and annual production of primary producers, reducers, and consumers of different orders, including fishes.