(An old paper published in the Journal of Theoretics)

The author proposes a simple mechanical model of biomass flow in an ecosystem using a hydrological model. Three tanks representing three trophic levels to determine which form of control is predominantly effective and under what conditions. The model shows that in the question of which is the dominant control, the cascade processes of control from top (predator control) or from bottom (Prey control), Top down control is predominant when the system is predator efficient, where mortality due to intraspecific competition is steady and bottom up control is predominant in systems where the predators are inefficient and mortality due to intraspecific competition is varying dependent on resource levels. The behavior of trophic levels under each type of control is also discussed.

• resource controlled flow
• incompetent predation
• competent predation
• biomass flow
• predator controlled flow

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