Smaller predator-prey body size ratios in longer food chains

Jennings, S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2390-7225 and Warr, Karema J. (2003) Smaller predator-prey body size ratios in longer food chains. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 270 (1522). pp. 1413-1417. ISSN 0962-8452

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Abstract

Maximum food-chain length has been correlated with resource availability, ecosystem size, environmental stability and colonization history. Some of these correlations may result from environmental effects on predator-prey body size ratios. We investigate relationships between maximum food-chain length, predator-prey mass ratios, primary production and environmental stability in marine food webs with a natural history of community assembly. Our analyses provide empirical evidence that smaller mean predator-prey body size ratios are characteristic of more stable environments and that food chains are longer when mean predator-prey body size ratios are small. We conclude that environmental effects on predator-prey body size ratios contribute to observed differences in maximum food-chain length.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 14 - life below water ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (former - to 2017) Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Depositing User:	Rosie Cullington
Date Deposited:	02 Jun 2011 08:32
Last Modified:	09 Mar 2023 10:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/31732
DOI:	10.1098/rspb.2003.2392

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