IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v10y2019i1d10.1038_s41467-018-08039-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Energetic equivalence underpins the size structure of tree and phytoplankton communities

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel M. Perkins

    (University of Roehampton)

  • Andrea Perna

    (University of Roehampton)

  • Rita Adrian

    (Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Department of Ecosystem Research)

  • Pedro Cermeño

    (Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC))

  • Ursula Gaedke

    (University of Potsdam)

  • Maria Huete-Ortega

    (Oroboros Instruments)

  • Ethan P. White

    (University of Florida
    University of Florida
    University of Florida)

  • Gabriel Yvon-Durocher

    (University of Exeter)

Abstract

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 metabolic scaling in forest vs. pelagic ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel M. Perkins & Andrea Perna & Rita Adrian & Pedro Cermeño & Ursula Gaedke & Maria Huete-Ortega & Ethan P. White & Gabriel Yvon-Durocher, 2019. "Energetic equivalence underpins the size structure of tree and phytoplankton communities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-08039-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08039-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-08039-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-018-08039-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-08039-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.