Detritus, trophic dynamics and biodiversity

Abstract

Traditional approaches to the study of food webs emphasize the transfer of local primary productivity in the form of living plant organic matter across trophic levels. However, dead organic matter, or detritus, a common feature of most ecosystems plays a frequently overlooked role as a dynamic heterogeneous resource and habitat for many species. We develop an integrative framework for understanding the impact of detritus that emphasizes the ontogeny and heterogeneity of detritus and the various ways that explicit inclusion of detrital dynamics alters generalizations about the structure and functioning of food webs. Through its influences on food web composition and dynamics, detritus often increases system stability and persistence, having substantial effects on trophic structure and biodiversity. Inclusion of detrital heterogeneity in models of food web dynamics is an essential new direction for ecological research.

Modelling ecosystem structure and trophic interactions in a typical cyanobacterial bloom-dominated shallow Lake Dianchi, China

“…High detrivory in a food chain might mitigate resource limitations caused by environmental changes (Moore et al, 2004). According to Hairston and Hairston (1993), detritus impinging on the trophic structure could even support larger predator biomass and longer food chains.…”

Trophic level, successional age and trait matching determine specialization of deadwood-based interaction networks of saproxylic beetles

“…Few quantitative studies on detritivorous networks exist, despite the fact that more than 95% of the plant biomass in terrestrial forest ecosystems directly feeds into detritivorous food chains, underpinning the role of decomposition for nutrient cycling and ecosystem stability [10]. In forest ecosystems, deadwood is a key component of dead organic material and thus the nutritional resource for species-rich communities of saproxylic insects and fungi [11,12].…”

Diversity of Bacterial Communities in Container Habitats of Mosquitoes

“…Container habitats of mosquitoes are ecosystem mesocosms, supporting food webs that are dependent on detritus [20] and microbial communities that metabolize and mineralize organic carbon from detritus [27,29]. Catabolism of detritus by microbes also produces metabolites that attract gravid mosquitoes and stimulate egg laying [4].…”