Inhibitory Analysis of Regulatory Interactions in Trophic Webs

Review of the paper: Inhibitory analysis of regulatory interactions in trophic webs. - Doklady Biological Sciences, 2001, Vol. 377, p. 139–141.

This paper reports absolutely new facts. The new facts discovered are the inhibition of filtration rate by mollusks under effect of specific chemical pollutants. These facts supported a new concept proposed by the Fulbright Award-winning author, Dr. Sergei A. Ostroumov. This concept is the concept of a new methodology – inhibitory analysis - to study trophic interactions between organisms in food chain. These trophic interactions have additional ecological meaning: they regulate populations of organisms involved in the interactions.

DOI: 10.1023/A:1019218026198

Аннотация: Ostroumov S.A. Inhibitory analysis of regulatory interactions in trophic webs.- Doklady Biological Sciences, 2001, Vol. 377, p. 139–141. (Translated from 'Doklady Akademii Nauk', 2000, Vol. 375, No. 6, p. 847–849).

ABSTRACT: In the paper, the author proposed a new approach to analyze the key ecological issue, the interactions between organisms in ecosystems. The new methodology proposed is inhibitory analysis. The author applied this approach to analyze trophic chains: the top–down control of plankton by benthic filter-feeders. This control, as the author’s experiments have shown, might be removed by chemical inhibitors (the latter may enter the ecosystem as pollutants). As an example, the author gives the results of his experiments. In these new experiments, synthetic surfactants [exemplified by a cationic surfactant tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TDTMA), and others] and synthetic detergents inhibited the control (filtration, removal of the cells from water) of phytoplankton (cells of algae Monochrystis lutheri) by bivalve mollusk, marine mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis. The method was successfully applied to innovatively analyze the factors that are among reasons of eutrophication.

Among NEW FACTS: the cationic surfactant TDTMA 1 mg/L inhibited the filtration rate of juveniles of marine bivalves Mytilus galloprovincialis, and the removal of cells of the algae Monochrysis lutheri from water (50 min, 26˚C)].

This is the first paper to report negative effects of a cationic synthetic surfactant on bivalve mollusks. Full text see ONLINE free:

<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/45911405">http://www.scribd.com/doc/45911405</a>;

<a href="http://sites.google.com/site/2001dbs377p139inhibitory/">http://sites.google.com/site/2001dbs377p139inhibitory/</a>;  

<a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/p1574238u5432125/">http://www.springerlink.com/content/p1574238u5432125/</a>;

<a href="http://sites.google.com/site/2001dbs377p139inhibitory/">http://sites.google.com/site/2001dbs377p139inhibitory/</a>;

Bottom line: this excellent article is a new step in both experimental and theoretical ecology. Moreover, this article starts a new page in methodology in ecology. The paper will be well cited.

Tags: Monochrystis lutheri, marine, bivalves, Mytilus galloprovincialis, cationic surfactant, TDTMA, tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, benthic, filter-feeders, food chain, trophic, interactions,

Unique new insight into trophic webs and trophic chains. The author developed a powerful, useful, productive methodology to study interactions among species. There is an analogy to inhibitory analysis in biochemistry. In biochemistry, this approach was very productive. The author applied this useful methodology to study trophic interactions between filter-feeders and plankton. This approach will be very useful in future. This publication is ahead of its time. It will be cited well.