Benthic-pelagic coupling and biomanipulation in shallow lakes (China)

Xiufeng Zhang (Jinan University), Xueying Mei (Anhui Agricultural University), Zhengwen Liu (Jinan University), and their students, Erik Jeppesen (Aarhus, Denmark), Rudstam. (China NSF)

CBFS have been involved in a series of China NSF funded projects on benthic pelagic coupling and the effects of mussels and fish on shallow lakes. These projects are led by Xiufeng Zhang and Zhengwen Liu (Jinan University, Guangzhou Province) and Xueying Mei (Anhui University, Hefei Province), collaborations that started when Drs Zhang and Mei were on sabbatical leave at CBFS in 2015-17. This research group also involves Belarussian scientist, Erik Jeppesen from Denmark and others. A series of mesocosm experiments on P recycling with various food web configurations have shown a strong effect of fish on shallow ecosystems, but also of bivalve and gastropods. In 2024, one paper was published on the effects of tilapia on macrophytes (Mei et al. 2024), one on the effect of bivalves on pelagic and benthic producers (Jin et al. 2024), and one on the apple snail grazing on benthic algae (Wang et al. 2024). Drs Zhang, Mei, and their students presented at a number of local and national meetings in China on these topics in 2024. Dr Zhang is now the Chair of his department at Jinan University and has received several prestigious awards for his work on various aspects of biomanipulation in shallow lakes.  Work continues, as several grant proposals were successful. Removal of fish and planting of macrophytes are increasingly used for shallow lake restoration in China.