[en] The authors examine analytically and numerically a two-field fluid model for the 2-D collisionless trapped-electron mode (CTEM) with the goal of understanding real and spectral space dynamics as well as the relationship of these dynamics to the driven particle transport. This model evolves both trapped electron density and electrostatic potential, with nonlinear dynamical effects of ion polarization, ion E x B and electron E x B nonlinearities. Through numerical elimination of the various nonlinearities the authors are able to isolate the effects attributable to each. Principle results can be summarized as follows: (1) When the ion and electron E x B nonlinearities are open-quote turned off,close-quote the particle transport and fluctuation levels increase by a factor of ten. (2) Whereas the full CTEM shows isotropic spectra, these become anisotropic in the absence of the nonlinearities. In addition, there is a downward shift in rms wave number. (3) The kinetic energy flow direction changes with and without the nonlinearities. This is consistent with the observation that the change in the spectral shape is mainly at low k. Preliminary results of frequency spectra indicate large real frequency shifts compared to linear, similar to Waltz. Frequency spectra do change minimally due to the electron nonlinearity, but not enough to account for large changes in transport. These results have a number of implications including the gross overestimation of fluctuation levels, transport and rms wave number by open-quote iδ close-quote models. Further, it can be surmised that electron dynamics play a key role in spectral transfer and that the character of the CTEM saturated steady state changes fundamentally with electron dynamics. The authors further note that through these studies, they are able to provide a guide to the possible signature of the CTEM model for experimental observation, i.e. isotropy, spectral peak, and nonlocal vs. local nonlinear transfer