[Assessment of ecosystem energy flow and carrying capacity of swimming crab enhancement in the Yellow River estuary and adjacent waters].

Stock enhancement is increasingly proved to be an important measure of the fishery resources conservation, and the assessment of carrying capacity is the decisive factor of the effects of stock enhancement. Meanwhile, the variations in the energy flow patterns of releasing species and ecosystem were the basis for assessing carrying capacity of stock enhancement. So, in the present study, based on the survey data collected from the Yellow River estuary and adjacent waters during 2012-2013, three Ecopath mass-balance models were established in June, August and October, and the variations in ecosystem energy flow in these months were analyzed, as well as the assessment of carrying capacity of swimming crab enhancement. The energy flow mainly concentrated on trophic level I-III in Yellow River estuary and adjacent waters, and was relatively less on trophic level IV or above. The system flow proportion on the trophic level I was the highest in June, and was the lowest in August. The highest system flow proportion on the trophic level II was found in August, and the lowest in June. The relative and absolute energy flow of swimming crab mainly concentrated on the trophic level III, and the mean trophic level of swimming crab among June, August and October were 3.28. Surplus production was relatively higher in Yellow River estuary and adjacent waters, the highest value was found in June, and the lowest value in August. The ratios of total primary production/total respiration (TPP/TR) were 5.49, 2.47 and 3.01 in June, August and October, respectively, and the ratios of total primary production/total biomass (TPP/B) were 47.61, 33.30 and 29.78, respectively. Combined with the low Finn' s cycling index (FCI: 0.03-0.06), these changes indicated that the Yellow River estuary ecosystem was at an early development stage with higher vulnerability. The energy conversion efficiency of system was from 7.3% to 11.5%, the mean trophic levels of the catch were 3.23, 2.97 and 2.82 in June, August and October, respectively. The highest gross efficiency of the fishery was found in August, and the lowest in June. Finally, based on the Ecopath model in August survey, the preliminarily assessed carrying capacity of swimming crab was 1.5115 t · km(-2) in Yellow River estuary and adjacent waters.