Energetic equivalence underpins the size structure of tree and phytoplankton communities
- The size structure of autotroph communities - the relative abundance of small vs. large individuals - shapes the functioning of ecosystems. Whether common mechanisms underpin the size structure of unicellular and multicellular autotrophs is, however, unknown. Using a global data compilation, we show that individual body masses in tree and phytoplankton communities follow power-law distributions and that the average exponents of these individual size distributions (ISD) differ. Phytoplankton communities are characterized by an average ISD exponent consistent with three-quarter-power scaling of metabolism with body mass and equivalence in energy use among mass classes. Tree communities deviate from this pattern in a manner consistent with equivalence in energy use among diameter size classes. Our findings suggest that whilst universal metabolic constraints ultimately underlie the emergent size structure of autotroph communities, divergent aspects of body size (volumetric vs. linear dimensions) shape the ecological outcome of metabolicThe size structure of autotroph communities - the relative abundance of small vs. large individuals - shapes the functioning of ecosystems. Whether common mechanisms underpin the size structure of unicellular and multicellular autotrophs is, however, unknown. Using a global data compilation, we show that individual body masses in tree and phytoplankton communities follow power-law distributions and that the average exponents of these individual size distributions (ISD) differ. Phytoplankton communities are characterized by an average ISD exponent consistent with three-quarter-power scaling of metabolism with body mass and equivalence in energy use among mass classes. Tree communities deviate from this pattern in a manner consistent with equivalence in energy use among diameter size classes. Our findings suggest that whilst universal metabolic constraints ultimately underlie the emergent size structure of autotroph communities, divergent aspects of body size (volumetric vs. linear dimensions) shape the ecological outcome of metabolic scaling in forest vs. pelagic ecosystems.…
Author details: | Daniel M. PerkinsORCiD, Andrea PernaORCiD, Rita AdrianORCiDGND, Pedro CermenoORCiD, Ursula GaedkeORCiDGND, Maria Huete-Ortega, Ethan P. White, Gabriel Yvon-DurocherORCiD |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-08039-3 |
ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30651533 |
Title of parent work (English): | Nature Communications |
Publisher: | Nature Publ. Group |
Place of publishing: | London |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Year of first publication: | 2019 |
Publication year: | 2019 |
Release date: | 2021/06/21 |
Volume: | 10 |
Number of pages: | 8 |
Funding institution: | Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)NERC Natural Environment Research Council; European Reasearch Council [ERC StG 677278]; UK Natural Environmental Research Council through Atlantic Meridional Transect consortium [NER/O/S/2001/00680]; Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (MEC)Spanish Government [CTM2004-05174-C02, CTM2008-03699]; Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia through program RADIALES; project UE [MAST-CT90-0017]; project DYBAGA [MAR99-1039-C02-01]; French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB) through synthesis center; CESAB; John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis; National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation (NSF) [DEB-0640386, DEB-0425651, DEB-0346488, DEB-0129874, DEB-00753102, DEB-9909347, DEB-9615226, DEB-9405933, DEB-9221033, DEB-9100058, DEB-8906869, DEB-8605042, DEB-8206992, DEB-7922197, DEB-0515520, DEB-084259]; Center for Tropical Forest ScienceSmithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteSmithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Mellon Foundation; Small World Institute Fund; Pepper-Giberson Chair Fund; University of CaliforniaUniversity of California System; NSFNational Science Foundation (NSF) [BSR-8811902, DEB 9411973, DEB 0080538, DEB 0218039, DEB 0620910, DEB 0963447] |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 51 Mathematik / 510 Mathematik |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access / Gold Open-Access |
DOAJ gelistet | |
License (German): | CC-BY-SA - Namensnennung, Weitergabe zu gleichen Bedingungen 4.0 International |
External remark: | Zweitveröffentlichung in der Schriftenreihe Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe ; 686 |