Seasonal transitions in north-temperate ecosystems impose uniquely variable abiotic conditions on resident biota. Summer is pervasively considered the time of peak production and represents a time of active foraging and energy accumulation in many fish species (Shuter et al. 2012). However, in north-temperate systems, important energy sources are not limited to summer months. Instead, some of the most critical energy sources occur as resource pulses in cooler months. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), for example, commonly rely on terrestrial invertebrates and emerging littoral prey fish to capitalize on optimal growing conditions in the spring (Courtwright & May 2013). Though the highly ephemeral nature of seasonal resource pulses can limit our ability to detect them in focal study systems, fish physiology and energy allocation dynamics can be shaped by the phenology, intensity, and variability of resource pulses (Armstrong & Schindler 2011). Identifying and documenting resource pulses is therefore critical to better resolving the physiological and ecological dynamics of fish populations.

中文翻译：

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斑点最好：溪鳟在早春捕食大型成年斑点蝾螈

北温带生态系统的季节性转变对常驻生物群施加了独特可变的非生物条件。夏季普遍被认为是产量高峰期，代表了许多鱼类积极觅食和能量积累的时期（Shuter 等人，2012 年）。然而，在北温带系统中，重要的能源并不限于夏季月份。相反，一些最关键的能源在较冷的月份作为资源脉冲出现。例如，溪鳟（Salvelinus fontinalis）通常依靠陆生无脊椎动物和新兴的沿海猎物来利用春季的最佳生长条件（Courtwright & May 2013）。尽管季节性资源脉冲的高度短暂性会限制我们在重点研究系统中检测它们的能力，资源脉冲的物候、强度和可变性可以塑造鱼类生理和能量分配动态（Armstrong & Schindler 2011）。因此，识别和记录资源脉冲对于更好地解决鱼类种群的生理和生态动态至关重要。