Our understanding of lake ecosystems has undergone a paradigm shift over the past few decades. While the classic tradition in limnology has been the study of planktonic, open-water habitats, a shift toward integrative and cross-habitat watershed and whole-lake perspectives has occurred. This change in perspective integrates the role of terrestrial organic matter and littoral/benthic productivity into a general recognition of multiple basal resources and consumer-mediated habitat coupling in lakes. In light of this evolving paradigm, we address 4 broad questions relating to the role of benthic productivity and food web pathways in lakes. Specifically we ask: (1) What is the contribution of attached algae to whole-lake primary production? (2) Are attached algae an important basal resource for consumers? (3) What are the roles of benthic habitats and resources in supporting lake biodiversity? (4) What is the role of lake benthic pathways in aquatic–terrestrial linkages? While this paper focuses on the role of benthic productivity in lake food webs, it reflects a larger movement toward a more integrated and holistic understanding of lake ecosystems. Recognizing the magnitude and implications of aquatic habitat coupling is necessary to understand and conserve these globally important ecosystems in our current era of unprecedented global environmental change.

在过去的几十年中，我们对湖泊生态系统的了解发生了范式转变。虽然湖学的经典传统一直是浮游式，开阔水域生境的研究，但已经发生了向一体化，跨生境的分水岭和整个湖泊观点的转变。这种观点上的变化将陆地有机物和沿海/底栖生产力的作用整合到对多种基础资源和消费者介导的湖泊生境耦合的普遍认识中。根据这种不断发展的范式，我们解决了四个有关底栖生产力和湖泊食物网途径的作用的广泛问题。具体来说，我们要求：（1）附着藻类对全湖初级生产的贡献是什么？（2）附着藻类是否是消费者重要的基础资源？（3）底栖生境和资源在支持湖泊生物多样性方面的作用是什么？（4）湖泊底栖通道在水－陆联系中的作用是什么？尽管本文着重于底栖生产力在湖泊食物网中的作用，但它反映出人们正在朝着对湖泊生态系统的更全面和全面的了解进行更大的运动。在我们这个史无前例的全球环境变化时代中，必须认识到水生生境耦合的程度和意义，才能理解和保护这些对全球重要的生态系统。