Identifying the impact of primary production pathways and mixotrophs on energy flow for a novel ecosystem in the world’s largest reservoir

This study focused on developing an Ecopath food-web model for Gaoyang Lake—a backwater tributary of China’s Three Gorges Reservoir—incorporating novel components, including multiple producer and microbial groups, as well as mixotrophy. The model was designed to holistically capture the complex energy and cycling pathways in Gaoyang Lake.The food-web model includes data collected from Gaoyang Lake, other studies of the Three Gorges Reservoir, and data from similar species or systems where data were unavailable.