| Predicting abundance-body size relationships in functional and taxonomic subsets of food webs. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 16927102 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Abundance-body size relationships are widely observed macroecological patterns in complete food webs and in taxonomically or functionally defined subsets of those webs. Observed abundance-body size relationships have frequently been compared with predictions based on the energetic equivalence hypothesis and, more recently, with predictions based on energy availability to different body size classes. Here, we consider the ways in which working with taxonomically or functionally defined subsets of food webs affected the relationship between the predicted and observed scaling of biomass and body mass in sediment dwelling benthic invertebrate communities at three sites in the North Sea. At each site, the energy available to body size classes in the "whole" community (community defined as all animals of 0.03125-32.0 g shell-free wet weight) and in three subsets was predicted from estimates of trophic level based on nitrogen stable isotope analysis. The observed and predicted scalings of biomass and body size were not significantly different for the whole community, and reflected an increase in energy availability with body size. However, the results for subsets showed that energy availability could increase or decrease with body size, and that individuals in the subsets were likely to be competing with individuals outside the subsets for energy. We conclude that the study of abundance-body mass relationships in functionally or taxonomically defined subsets of food webs is unlikely to provide an adequate test of the energetic equivalence hypothesis or other relationships between energy availability and scaling. To consistently and reliably interpret the results of these tests, it is necessary to know about energy availability as a function of body size both within and outside the subset considered. |
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Authors:
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T A D Maxwell; S Jennings |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2006-08-23 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Oecologia Volume: 150 ISSN: 0029-8549 ISO Abbreviation: Oecologia Publication Date: 2006 Nov |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2006-10-19 Completed Date: 2007-02-01 Revised Date: 2007-05-10 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0150372 Medline TA: Oecologia Country: Germany |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 282-90 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory, Lowestoft NR33 OHT, UK. tracy.maxwell@cefas.co.uk |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Biomass* Body Size* Food Chain* Geologic Sediments Invertebrates* Nitrogen Isotopes North Sea |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/Nitrogen Isotopes |
| Comments/Corrections | |
Erratum In:
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Oecologia. 2007 Apr;151(4):748 |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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