title: Possible ecosystem impacts of applying maximum sustainable yield policy in food chain models.
abstract: This paper describes the possible impacts of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and maximum sustainable total yield (MSTY) policy in ecosystems. In general it is observed that exploitation at MSY (of single species) or MSTY (of multispecies) level may cause the extinction of several species. In particular, for traditional prey-predator system, fishing under combined harvesting effort at MSTY (if it exists) level may be a sustainable policy, but if MSTY does not exist then it is due to the extinction of the predator species only. In generalist prey-predator system, harvesting of any one of the species at MSY level is always a sustainable policy, but harvesting of both the species at MSTY level may or may not be a sustainable policy. In addition, we have also investigated the MSY and MSTY policy in a traditional tri-trophic and four trophic food chain models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, Howrah 711103, India. keshab_bg@yahoo.in
authors.forename: Bapan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D005398:Fisheries; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology; D020387:Food Chain; D008954:Models, Biological; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D013045:Species Specificity