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Trophic and individual efficiencies of size-structured communities

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Author

Summary, in English

Individual and trophic efficiencies of size-structured communities are derived from mechanistically based principles at the individual level. The derivations are relevant for communities with a size-based trophic structure, i.e. where trophic level is strongly correlated with individual size as in many aquatic systems. The derivations are used to link Lindeman's trophic theory and trophic theory based on average individuals with explicit individual-level size spectrum theory. The trophic efficiency based on the transfer of mass between trophic levels through predator-prey interactions is demonstrated to be valid only when somatic growth can be ignored. Taking somatic growth into account yields an average individual growth efficiency that is smaller than the trophic efficiency.

Publishing year

2009

Language

English

Pages

109-114

Publication/Series

Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences

Volume

276

Issue

1654

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Royal Society Publishing

Topic

  • Biological Sciences

Keywords

  • structured populations
  • ecological efficiency
  • trophic efficiency
  • trophic level
  • size spectrum

Status

Published

Research group

  • Theoretical Population Ecology and Evolution Group

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1471-2954