Figure 8. Connectivity matrix for a detailed conceptual model of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. 



model arc plants and epiphytes, benthic algae, small 

 consumers, birds, other wildlife, detritus, decom- 

 posers, and organic and inorganic N, P, and C for 

 wetlands; net phytoplankton, nannoplankton, net 

 zooplankton, microzooplankton, ctenophores and 

 jellyfish, water birds, menhaden and fish larvae, 

 killifishes, etc., croaker, etc., blucfish, etc., detritus, 

 bacteria and protozoa, organic and inorganic N, P, 

 and C, and dissolved oxygen for the water column; 

 seagrasses, epiphytes, benthic algae, epifauna, and 

 infauna lor seagrass communities, and oysters and 

 clams, blue crabs, crustaceans, etc., detritus, and 

 meio- and microfauna for benthos; pollutants are 



also part of the system. The environmental elements 

 are river drainage, land runoff, atmosphere, Atlantic 

 Ocean, deep sediments, and man. 



Each compartment appears as a heading for 

 one column in the matrix. Cells of the matrix in- 

 dicate material flow between compartments. For 

 example, the element in row 12 (net zooplankton) 

 and column 10 (net phytoplankton) indicates flow 

 from net phytoplankton to net zooplankton, or 

 grazing on phytoplankton by zooplankton. Pro- 

 cesses covered by elements of the matrix include 

 grazing, predation, respiration and mineralization 

 of nutrients (from animals to inorganic N, P, 



12 



