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Dome patterns in pelagic size spectra reveal strong trophic cascades

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  • Axel G. Rossberg

    (Queen Mary University of London
    Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)
    International Initiative for Theoretical Ecology)

  • Ursula Gaedke

    (University of Potsdam)

  • Pavel Kratina

    (Queen Mary University of London)

Abstract

In ecological communities, especially the pelagic zones of aquatic ecosystems, certain body-size ranges are often over-represented compared to others. Community size spectra, the distributions of community biomass over the logarithmic body-mass axis, tend to exhibit regularly spaced local maxima, called “domes”, separated by steep troughs. Contrasting established theory, we explain these dome patterns as manifestations of top-down trophic cascades along aquatic food chains. Compiling high quality size-spectrum data and comparing these with a size-spectrum model introduced in this study, we test this theory and develop a detailed picture of the mechanisms by which bottom-up and top-down effects interact to generate dome patterns. Results imply that strong top-down trophic cascades are common in freshwater communities, much more than hitherto demonstrated, and may arise in nutrient rich marine systems as well. Transferring insights from the general theory of non-linear pattern formation to domes patterns, we provide new interpretations of past lake-manipulation experiments.

Suggested Citation

  • Axel G. Rossberg & Ursula Gaedke & Pavel Kratina, 2019. "Dome patterns in pelagic size spectra reveal strong trophic cascades," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-12289-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12289-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Benoit, David M. & Giacomini, Henrique C. & Chu, Cindy & Jackson, Donald A., 2021. "Identifying influential parameters of a multi-species fish size spectrum model for a northern temperate lake through sensitivity analyses," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 460(C).
    2. Angus Atkinson & Axel G. Rossberg & Ursula Gaedke & Gary Sprules & Ryan F. Heneghan & Stratos Batziakas & Maria Grigoratou & Elaine Fileman & Katrin Schmidt & Constantin Frangoulis, 2024. "Steeper size spectra with decreasing phytoplankton biomass indicate strong trophic amplification and future fish declines," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.

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