Biological Stoichiometry

Abstract

Biological stoichiometry is the study of the balance of energy and multiple chemical elements in living systems. This biological perspective compares the elemental requirements of organisms for growth, reproduction and maintenance with that provided by their nutritional resources. It has found a relatively greater flexibility in the elemental composition of primary producers compared to consumers, which leads to elemental imbalances between adjacent trophic levels. For individual organisms, the relatively low supply of an element can alter physiological processes underlying its acquisition, incorporation and release. When sustained, elemental imbalances slow growth and limit reproduction of organisms, particularly those with relatively high elemental requirements. Elemental imbalances have been documented in diverse ecosystems and at multiple trophic levels and have been shown to affect key ecological and evolutionary processes underlying population dynamics, trophic interactions and ecosystem function.