Global Biodiversity, Biochemical Kinetics, and the Energetic-Equivalence Rule

Allen, Andrew P.; Brown, James H.; Gillooly, James F.

doi:10.1126/science.1072380

Cited by 760 publications

(1,052 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…free radicles (Rand, 1994 ;Martin, 1995). Some support for this is provided by evidence that ectotherm species richness is often correlated with temperature in a manner quantitatively identical to the relationship between metabolic rate and temperature (Allen, Brown & Gillooly, 2002). A similar argument implies, however, that mutation and speciation rates in endotherms will be negatively related to energy as these taxa reduce metabolic rates in warm areas.…”

Section: (B ) Predictionsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Species–energy relationships at the macroecological scale: a review of the mechanisms

2005

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Correlations between the amount of energy received by an assemblage and the number of species that it contains are very general, and at the macro-scale such species-energy relationships typically follow a monotonically increasing curve. Whilst the ecological literature contains frequent reports of such relationships, debate on their causal mechanisms is limited and typically focuses on the role of energy availability in controlling the number of individuals in an assemblage. Assemblages from high-energy areas may contain more individuals enabling species to maintain larger, more viable populations, whose lower extinction risk elevates species richness. Other mechanisms have, however, also been suggested. Here we identify and clarify nine principal mechanisms that may generate positive species-energy relationships at the macro-scale. We critically assess their assumptions and applicability over a range of spatial scales, derive predictions for each and assess the evidence that supports or refutes them. Our synthesis demonstrates that all mechanisms share at least one of their predictions with an alternative mechanism. Some previous studies of species-energy relationships appear not to have recognised the extent of shared predictions, and this may detract from their contribution to the debate on causal mechanisms. The combination of predictions and assumptions made by each mechanism is, however, unique, suggesting that, in principle, conclusive tests are possible. Sufficient testing of all mechanisms has yet to be conducted, and no single mechanism currently has unequivocal support. Each may contribute to species-energy relationships in some circumstances, but some mechanisms are unlikely to act simultaneously. Moreover, a limited number appear particularly likely to contribute frequently to species-energy relationships at the macro-scale. The increased population size, niche position and diversification rate mechanisms are particularly noteworthy in this context.

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Section: (B ) Predictionsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Species–energy relationships at the macroecological scale: a review of the mechanisms

2005

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“…Some examples of the first two comprise the extremes of the third, but others apparently do not, and there is growing evidence for dependence of the form of observed patterns on spatial scale (Waide et al 1999;Mittelbach et al 2001;Whittaker et al 2001;Chase & Leibold 2002;Van Rensburg et al 2002). Such complexity has, perhaps inevitably, led to a multitude of explanations for species-energy relationships, rooted in a variety of evolutionary and ecological processes (Kerr & Packer 1997;Rohde 1997;Rosenzweig & Sandlin 1997;Srivastava & Lawton 1998;Allen et al 2002;Storch 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure of the species–energy relationship

Bonn

Storch

Gaston

2004

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

109

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The relationship between energy availability and species richness (the species-energy relationship) is one of the best documented macroecological phenomena. However, the structure of species distribution along the gradient, the proximate driver of the relationship, is poorly known. Here, using data on the distribution of birds in southern Africa, for which species richness increases linearly with energy availability, we provide an explicit determination of this structure. We show that most species exhibit increasing occupancy towards more productive regions (occurring in more grid cells within a productivity class). However, average reporting rates per species within occupied grid cells, a correlate of local density, do not show a similar increase. The mean range of used energy levels and the mean geographical range size of species in southern Africa decreases along the energy gradient, as most species are present at high productivity levels but only some can extend their ranges towards lower levels. Species turnover among grid cells consequently decreases towards high energy levels. In summary, these patterns support the hypothesis that higher productivity leads to more species by increasing the probability of occurrence of resources that enable the persistence of viable populations, without necessarily affecting local population densities.

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“…The metabolic theory of ecology (Allen et al 2002;Brown et al 2004) predicts that at a constant supply rate of the limiting basal resource (light or nutrient), biomass declines with increasing temperature because of increasing metabolic demands per unit biomass. This effect is enhanced at the primary producer level if heterotrophic processes are Mar Biol (2012) 159:2367-2377 2371 123 more strongly accelerated by warming than photosynthesis, as shown by an overview of Q 10 -data in Sommer and Lengfellner (2008).…”

Section: Changes In Biomassmentioning

confidence: 99%

The response of temperate aquatic ecosystems to global warming: novel insights from a multidisciplinary project

et al. 2012

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This article serves as an introduction to this special issue of Marine Biology, but also as a review of the key findings of the AQUASHIFT research program which is the source of the articles published in this issue. AQUASHIFT is an interdisciplinary research program targeted to analyze the response of temperate zone aquatic ecosystems (both marine and freshwater) to global warming. The main conclusions of AQUASHIFT relate to (a) shifts in geographic distribution, (b) shifts in seasonality, (c) temporal mismatch in food chains, (d) biomass responses to warming, (e) responses of body size, (f) harmful bloom intensity, (f), changes of biodiversity, and (g) the dependence of shifts to temperature changes during critical seasonal windows.

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Global Biodiversity, Biochemical Kinetics, and the Energetic-Equivalence Rule

Cited by 760 publications

References 21 publications

Species–energy relationships at the macroecological scale: a review of the mechanisms

Species–energy relationships at the macroecological scale: a review of the mechanisms

Structure of the species–energy relationship

The response of temperate aquatic ecosystems to global warming: novel insights from a multidisciplinary project

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